WORK AND PENSIONS

Departmental Websites

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Jobcentre Plus staff were involved in administering the Jobcentre Plus website in each of the last 24 months.

Jim Murphy: The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) e-Communications team is responsible for the administration of the Jobcentre Plus website. No Jobcentre Plus staff are involved in the administration of the site.
	The information on the number of DWP e-Communications staff administering the website since February 2005 is in the following table.
	
		
			   Number of staff 
			  2005  
			 February 7 
			 March 7 
			 April 7 
			 May 7 
			 June 7 
			 July 7 
			 August 7 
			 September 7 
			 October 7 
			 November 7 
			 December 7 
			   
			  2006  
			 January 7 
			 February 7 
			 March 7 
			 April 8 
			 May 8 
			 June 8 
			 July 8 
			 August 8 
			 September 8 
			 October 8 
			 November 8 
			 December 8 
			   
			  2007  
			 January 8

Departmental Websites

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what target he has set for Jobcentre Plus website user visits for 2006-07.

Jim Murphy: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Lesley Strathie:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking what targets are set for Jobcentre Plus website user visits for 2006-07. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	The Jobcentre Plus website does not have targets to increase visitors, nor to achieve a set target of user visits to the website. Jobcentre Plus does, however, encourage visitors by ensuring the website address is included in all of its marketing activity.
	I hope this is helpful.

Deprived Areas Fund

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what Deprived Areas Fund allocation his Department has made to Wandsworth, Southwark and Lambeth district in 2007-08, broken down by ward; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what Deprived Areas Fund allocation his Department has made to Wandsworth, Southwark and Lambeth Jobcentre Plus district in 2006-07, split by ward; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  how much Deprived Areas Fund spend allocated by his Department to Wandsworth, Southwark and Lambeth district in 2006-07 has been spent in the year to date, broken down by ward; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: holding answer 2 February 2007
	The information on Deprived Areas Fund allocation for 2006-07 and 2007-08 in Wandsworth, Southwark and Lambeth district is in the following table.
	
		
			  Deprived areas fund allocation in Wandsworth, Southwark and Lambeth district 
			  £ 
			  Ward code  Ward  2006-07  2007-08 
			 OOAYFZ Bishop's 23,089 70,918 
			 OOAYGA Brixton Hill 24,639 75,678 
			 OOAYGC Clapham Town 23,811 73,134 
			 OOAYGD Coldharbour 28,808 88,484 
			 OOAYGE Ferndale 25,581 78,572 
			 OOAYGF Gipsy Hill 26,062 80,050 
			 OOAYGG Herne Hill 23,417 71,923 
			 OOAYGH Knight's Hill 25,762 79,126 
			 OOAYGJ Larkhall 28,307 86,944 
			 OOAYGK Oval 23,797 73,093 
			 OOAYGL Prince's 23,363 71,759 
			 OOAYGM St. Leonard's 21,833 67,060 
			 OOAYGN Stockwell 27,198 83,538 
			 OOAYGP Streatham Hill 24,091 73,996 
			 OOAYGR Streatham Wells 23,550 72,334 
			 OOAYGS Thornton 23,002 70,651 
			 OOAYGU Tulse Hill 26,764 82,204 
			 OOAYGW Vassall 25,942 79,680 
			 OOBEGC Brunswick Park 24,793 76,151 
			 OOBEGD Camberwell Green 26,410 81,117 
			 OOBEGE Cathedrals 36,251 111,344 
			 OOBEGF Chaucer 34,688 106,542 
			 OOBEGJ East Walworth 28,280 86,862 
			 OOBEGK Faraday 31,113 95,563 
			 OOBEGL Grange 26,797 82,307 
			 OOBEGM Livesey 28,421 87,294 
			 OOBEGN Newington 28,340 87,047 
			 OOBEGP Nunhead 22,114 67,921 
			 OOBEGQ Peckham 24,459 75,124 
			 OOBEGR Peckham Rye 20,256 62,217 
			 OOBEGU South Bermondsey 24,312 74,673 
			 OOBEGW South Camberwell 25,207 77,423 
			 OOBEGY The Lane 25,848 79,393 
			 OOBJGG Latchmere 24,759 76,048 
			 OOBJGK Queenstown 24,038 73,832 
			  Total 905,103 2,780,000 
		
	
	To date, no spend through the Deprived Areas Fund has been recorded for the Wandsworth, Southwark and Lambeth district in 2006-07.

Disabled People: Poverty

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of disabled people were living in  (a) relative and  (b) absolute poverty in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 19 January 2007,  Official Report, column 1436W.

External Consultants

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department has spent on external consultants in each year since 1996-97, broken down by project; what the purpose of each such project was; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The DWP was formed in June 2001 and I have provided the total spent on external consultants since formation.
	The total cost of employing consultants in each year for the remaining years is in the following table.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   Description  Management consultancy  IT consultancy 
			 2001-02 — 23.79 70.67 
			 2002-03 — 47.57 93.47 
			 2003-04 — 223.35 83.37 
			 2004-05 — 98.64 69.73 
			 2005-06 — 77.59 52.70

Household Incomes

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of how many families living in  (a) England,  (b) Wales and  (c) Scotland receive more than half of their gross income in cash benefits and tax credits.

Jim Murphy: The information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Family type  Country  All 
			  Pensioner couple England 1.4 
			  Wales 0.1 
			  Scotland 0.1 
			  Northern Ireland - 
			  UK 1.7 
			
			  Couple with children England 0.5 
			  Wales * 
			  Scotland * 
			  Northern Ireland * 
			  UK 0.6 
			  Couple without children England 0.4 
			  Wales * 
			  Scotland * 
			  Northern Ireland * 
			  UK 0.5 
			
			  Lone parent England 0.9 
			  Wales * 
			  Scotland 0.1 
			  Northern Ireland - 
			  UK 1.1 
			  Notes: 1. Income from benefits or tax credits: Income from any Social Security Benefit; i.e. income-related benefit and non-income related benefit and for this analysis also includes tax credits. See notes below for further definition of income- and non-income related benefits 2. The only way we can measure family income is by using the Benefit Unit definition of family. This is equivalent to a family unit but is not the same as a household. A household can contain one or more benefit units. 3. The estimates are based on sample counts that have been adjusted for non-response using multi-purpose grossing factors that control for tenure type, Council Tax Band and a number of demographic variables. Estimates are subject to sampling error and remaining response bias. 4. Benefit receipt is based on self-assessment and therefore may be subject to mis-reporting. 5. Percentage is rounded to the nearest percent 6. Income related benefits: Social Security benefits included in this category are: Back to Work Bonus Extended Payment of Council Tax Benefit Extended Payment of Housing Benefit Income Support Pension Credit Housing Benefit Council Tax Benefit Rates Rebate Disability Working Allowance Social Fund Grant for Funeral Expenses Social Fund Grant for Maternity Expenses Jobseeker's Allowance (Income based) Community Care Grants Return to Work Credit Child Maintenance Bonus 7. Non-income related benefits/Non-income related state support: Social Security benefits included in this category are: Statutory Sick Pay Statutory Maternity Pay Statutory Paternity Pay Statutory Adoption Pay Disability Living Allowance Child Benefit Retirement Pension Widowed Mother's Allowance/Widowed Parents Allowance Widow's Payment/Bereavement Payment Widow's Pension/Bereavement Allowance War Disablement Pension War Widow's Pension Severe Disablement Allowance Attendance Allowance 8. The estimates are based on sample counts that have been adjusted for non-response using multi-purpose grossing factors which align the FRS to Government Office Region populations by age and sex. Estimates are subject to sampling error and remaining response bias. Sample sizes are provided to help readers judge the robustness of the information. 9. Data are not provided for certain cells in the table because the sample sizes are too small to support reliable estimates of the statistics in question. (Represented with an *) 10. Evidence suggests that some items of income may be under reported in the survey, particularly self-employment and investment income; and estimates of average income are vulnerable to variations in the number of very high income households responding in each region; these figures should therefore be treated with caution. 11. Benefit receipt is based on self-assessment and therefore may be subject to misreporting.  Source: Family Resources Survey (UK), 2004-05 Figures have been rounded to nearest 100 thousand.

Jobcentre Plus

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in which areas the 0800 number to contact Jobcentre Plus is available to claimants of working age benefit.

Jim Murphy: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Lesley Strathie:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking in which areas the 0800 number to contact Jobcentre Plus is available to claimants of working age benefit. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	The new 0800 telephone number is part of a wider package of measures being delivered to improve the process for New and Repeat Claims to Income Support, Jobseeker's Allowance and Incapacity Benefit. These changes began in January 2007 at the contact centre in Grimsby.
	The number is currently available to people calling from East Yorkshire and Humber, Calderdale, Kirklees & Wakefield and Leeds, including the Textphone service, and will continue with a gradual rollout to the remaining contact centres by the end of May 2007.
	I hope this helpful.

Jobcentre Plus

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to advise members of the public of the changes to the Jobcentre Plus dialling code.

Jim Murphy: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Lesley Strathie:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking what steps are being taken to advise the public of the changes to the Jobcentre Plus dialling code. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	The new 0800 telephone number is part of a wider package of measures being delivered to improve the process for New and Repeat Claims to Income Support, Jobseekers Allowance and Incapacity Benefit. These changes are being rolled out across the country between January and May 2007 and will provide a better customer service, eliminate double handling and be more affordable.
	The 0800 feature will give the majority of our customers the facility to make a benefit claim in a single call which will be free from landlines.
	As part of this package of improvements we are taking a series of steps to inform customers of the new number:
	As the number is introduced into our Contact Centres, posters showing the 0800 number will be prominently displayed at linked Jobcentres. Leaflets will be made available at Jobcentres for customers to take away with them. Posters and leaflets are also being distributed to local external partners such as the Citizens Advice Bureau to display and issue to customers as appropriate.
	Jobcentres will also have cards available for customers, providing details of the 0800 number plus additional useful local contact numbers.
	To support the transition to the new 0800 number, the current Contact Centre 0845 numbers will have a message redirecting customers to the new 0800 number. This will be in place for a period of 12 months.
	Telephone directories will be updated as reprints become due.
	The Jobcentre Plus Internet site will also be updated to reflect the change to the 0800 number as roll out progresses.
	I hope this is helpful.

New Deal

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he expects the Government's Building on the New Deal policy to be included in the documents to be produced at the time of the Chancellor's next Budget; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: We are unable to say what will be included in Budget documents.
	We have been considering the Building on New Deal strategy in the light of Spending Review settlement resources, respective priorities, and commitments in the Welfare Reform Green Paper. We are still committed to the Building on New Deal principles of tailoring, personalisation, and devolution, and these are being taken forward through the introduction of the more far-reaching City Strategy.

Parliamentary Questions

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what systems are in place in his Department for classifying written parliamentary questions when they are tabled; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: No classification of parliamentary questions takes place when they are tabled.

Remploy

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many public contracts have been awarded in England to supported employers to  (a) Remploy and  (b) other similar organisations since January 2006; and if he will take steps to increase the number of contracts awarded to such employers.

Anne McGuire: Remploy has been awarded approximately 8,000 public contracts since January 2006 worth approximately £37 million. Often these are national contracts covering England, Scotland and Wales.
	Information as to how many public contracts have been awarded to similar organisations in England is not available.
	We are keen to see Remploy and other such organisations make the most of public procurement opportunities and as a first step officials have already arranged a meeting with Remploy, the GMB union National Secretary and officials from the Office of Government Commerce to discuss how to take this forward.

Remploy

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the total workforce is of Remploy; what proportion of the Remploy budget in 2006-07 is being spent on supporting those jobs; and what his policy is on redundancies in Remploy businesses.

Anne McGuire: The information is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Number of people employed  As a percentage of the Remploy budget 
			 Remploy Workforce Businesses 5,731 78 
			 Employment Services Workforce 500 15 
			 Number of WORKSTEP participants supported by Remploy Employment Services 4,057 — 
			 Other Costs (pensions deficit etc.)  7 
		
	
	The policy is that there are to be no compulsory redundancies for disabled employees employed in Remploy businesses.

Special Advisers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many of his Department's civil servants work full-time to support departmental special advisers; and what the salary is of each such civil servant.

Anne McGuire: The special advisers in the Department of Work and Pensions are supported by three civil servants. The salary ranges are:
	
		
			  Range  Number of civil servants 
			 £21,480 to £27,300 1 
			 £27,240 to £36,480 2

Work

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many people in Edinburgh, North and Leith have received the In Work credit;
	(2)  how many people in Edinburgh, North and Leith have received the Lone Parent Work Search Premium.

Jim Murphy: We are now able to break down information on the In Work Credit and Work Search Premium at constituency level.
	Since October 2004, 131 people have received the lone parent In Work credit, and nine people have received the lone parent Work Search Premium in Edinburgh, North and Leith.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Afghanistan: Overseas Aid

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what reconstruction and development objectives his Department set for  (a) education,  (b) water and sanitation,  (c) healthcare,  (d) microfinance and  (e) poppy eradication prior to the invasion of Afghanistan; what assessment he has made of the extent to which they have been achieved; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: Prior to September 2001, DFID's development strategy for Afghanistan supported the UN-led strategic framework for Afghanistan. Between September 2001 and the fall of the Taliban regime, DFID's objectives were primarily humanitarian, specifically to:
	Help meet immediate life-saving needs in areas such as food, water, healthcare and shelter;
	Support refugee needs for assistance and protection in neighbouring countries (and cross-border operations where feasible), for example through programmes in health, food, water and sanitation;
	Strengthen international humanitarian agency capacity and coordination;
	Help re-establish the international community's presence in Afghanistan; and
	Support peacemaking efforts and encourage forward planning for Afghanistan's post-conflict recovery.
	Having helped to avert a humanitarian catastrophe and support the establishment of an interim Afghan Administration, DFID's focus shifted from humanitarian assistance to reconstruction and development.

Afghanistan: Overseas Aid

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what  (a) proposals and  (b) strategies his Department had in place prior to the invasion of Afghanistan for the reconstruction and development of that country.

Hilary Benn: DFID's development strategy in Afghanistan prior to September 2001 was to support the UN-led strategic framework for Afghanistan. Prior to, during and immediately after the invasion our work was focused on supporting the humanitarian response and meeting immediate life-saving needs in areas such as food, water, healthcare and shelter. From late 2001, DFID's approach supported the Bonn agreement, which set out the key milestones to recreating a legitimate Afghan government. Our strategy has been to support such a government in identifying its priorities for Afghan reconstruction and development, which we can then support.
	Details of specific proposals we received from UN agencies, NGOs and others are no longer easily accessible as they have been archived. Searching for the broad range of all proposals in place prior to the invasion would unfortunately, involve a disproportionate cost.

Disaster Relief: Orphans

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with his counterparts in the US about the impact of a new definition of orphans and vulnerable children on eligibility for support from the President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief from March; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: We have regular discussions, at both ministerial and official level, with colleagues in the US Office of the Global AIDS Co-ordinator, who are responsible for the operation of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). We understand they have no plans to adopt a new definition of orphans and vulnerable children.
	We believe the most widely adopted international definitions are those agreed by the members of the Joint United Nations Programme for HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) Monitoring and Evaluation Reference Group. They define an orphan as a child below the age of 18 who has lost one or both parents. They further define a child made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS as below the age of 18 and:
	Having lost one or both parents, or
	Having a chronically ill parent (regardless of whether the parent lives in the same household as the child), or
	Living in a household where in the past 12 months, at least one adult died and was sick for three of the 12 months before he/she died, or
	Living in a household where at least one adult was seriously ill for at least three months in the past 12 months, or
	Living outside of family care (i.e. living in an institution or on the streets).
	DFID supports the UNICEF view, agreed at the 2004 and 2006 Global Partners Forums, that national and international partners should advance action for "children affected by AIDS" rather than "orphans and vulnerable children" to reflect the range of ways that HIV and AIDS can make children vulnerable, including children: living in households that have taken in orphans; living with HIV themselves; who have lost access to school; or whose parents are struggling with a terminal illness.

Overseas Aid: Education

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what total funding for education his Department allocated in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: DFID bilateral expenditure on education in each of the last five years is shown at Table 1.
	
		
			  Table 1: DFID Bilateral expenditure on education 
			  £000 
			   Expenditure 
			 2001-02 134,179 
			 2002-03 165,133 
			 2003-04 221,887 
			 2004-05 269,761 
			 2005-06 249,799 
		
	
	DFID also contributes to the funding of a range of multilateral organisations much of which will go towards education. The total amount of funding through the major relevant multilateral organisations is published in Statistics on International Development, a copy of which is available in the Library. Summary information is provided in Table 2.
	
		
			  Table 2: Total DFID expenditure on the funding of selected multilateral organisations 
			  £ million 
			   2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 Multilateral organisation  
			 European Community 730 871 1,031 951 917 
			 International Development Association 214 221 381 204 271 
			 UNICEF 18 20 18 24 32 
			 UNESCO 3 3 3 3 3 
			 African Development Fund 29 33 32 35 34 
			 Asian Development Fund 27 26 24 22 19

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Departments: St. George's Day

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans her Department has to celebrate St. George's Day.

David Lammy: The Department will fly the St. George's flag along side the Union Flag to celebrate St. George's Day.

Gaming Clubs

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the answer of 28 February 2007,  Official Report, column 1404W, on gaming clubs, for what reasons the research paper commissioned by the Casino Advisory Panel was not received in time to provide background to assist in the scoping phase of the panel's work.

Richard Caborn: The research paper commissioned by the Casino Advisory Panel was not received in time to provide background to assist in the scoping phase of the Panel's work because the process of conducting the research revealed that there was more material in existence than had been anticipated by the researcher.

Gaming Clubs

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the answer of 28 February 2007,  Official Report, column 1403W, on gaming clubs, which members of the Casino Advisory Panel had expertise in each of the categories of expertise stated in the answer to question 123659.

Richard Caborn: Biographical details of the five individuals selected to become the Chair and members of the Casino Advisory Panel were included in the press release, issued on 30 September 2005, which announced the establishment of the Panel.
	I am arranging for copies of the press release to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses. The press release is also available on the Panel's website at:
	www.culture.gov.uk/cap

Gaming Clubs

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the answer of 28 February 2007,  Official Report, column 1404W, on gaming clubs, on what date the Casino Advisory Panel asked her Department for its 2006 budget to be determined; and on what date the Panel was informed of its budget.

Richard Caborn: The Casino Advisory Panel's budget was discussed and carefully monitored throughout the latter part of 2005 and during 2006. In the period leading up to the examinations in public, held in August and September 2006 for the local authority areas short listed for the regional casino, funding for the remainder of 2006 was confirmed and extra staffing was allocated to the Panel. This is recorded in the minutes of the Casino Advisory Panel meeting held on 5 July 2006, which are available on the Panel's website at:
	www.culture.gov.uk/cap

Olympic Games: Finance

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the implications for the Big Five Lottery distributors of changes in funding levels resulting from preparations for the 2012 Olympic Games.

Tessa Jowell: It was always understood when we bid that National Lottery funding for London 2012 would involve some loss of income to the non-Olympic good causes. Non-Olympic distributors may lose an average of 5 per cent. of their income because of sales diversion to Olympic Lottery games over the period 2005-06 to 2012-13. In addition, we have already announced that £410 million will be taken from non-Olympic Lottery proceeds between 2009 and 2012. No decision has been made about how that amount will be shared between the various non-Olympic good causes.
	The Government are currently considering how the additional Olympic costs of £900 million should be met. No conclusions have yet been reached on the further use of Lottery funding.

Olympic Games: Greater London

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her most recent estimate is of the cost of the London 2012 Olympic Games, broken down by main cost area.

Tessa Jowell: I refer the hon. Member to the Committee for Culture, Media and Sport hearing on 21 November 2006, where I gave a detailed breakdown of the recent estimate into the costs of the London 2012 Olympic Games. The transcript is available in the Committee's Second Report of the Session 2006-07, London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games: funding and legacy (HC 69-ii).

Olympic Games: Greater London

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what consideration the Government has given to the exclusion of Zimbabwe from participating in the London 2012 Olympic Games; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: The involvement of individual nations or territories in the Olympic Games is a matter for the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Nations of the world send competitors to the Games under the auspices of their respective National Olympic Committee (NOC). The IOC grants recognition to individual NOCs, and then invites them to participate in each Games.

Olympic Games: Greater London

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether Zimbabwe meets the criteria for participating in the London 2012 Olympic Games; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: The main role of the 203 National Olympic Committees, as recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), is to ensure that athletes from their respective nations attend the Olympic Games. Only a NOC is able to select and send teams and competitors for participation in the Olympic Games. Responsibility for establishing and applying the criteria for participating in the Games is a matter for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and, depending upon the sport in question, the appropriate International Sports Federation.

Radio: Advertising

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the impact on commercial radio serving local communities of changes in advertising revenue over the last three years.

Shaun Woodward: None. However, Ofcom's review of radio which has outlined a number of challenges currently facing the industry, including the impact of falling advertising revenue to the commercial radio sector. The next stage of their review will be published shortly.

Sport England: Manpower

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many members of staff are employed by Sport England  (a) centrally and  (b) in each of the regional offices; and what the salary bill was in the most recent month for which figures are available.

Richard Caborn: Sport England employ 264 staff; 92 of which are employed centrally and 172 are employed across the regions. Their gross salary bill for February 2007 was £820,000.

Sports: Drugs

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the Olympic  (a) summer and  (b) winter sports that are not compliant with the requirements of UK Sport's drug testing regime.

Richard Caborn: UK Sport's drug testing programme requires sports to be compliant with their anti-doping 'Model Rules'.
	These 'Model Rules' set out the rules and regulations which sports should have in place to be compliant with the World Anti-Doping Code.
	Listed are the Olympic summer and winter sports which are not currently compliant, but with whom UK Sport is working to achieve compliance. It should be noted that testing continues to be undertaken on these sports and that sanctions can be applied for any anti-doping rule violation.
	 Summer sports
	 Delays due to jurisdiction issues:
	Badminton (Scotland only)
	Baseball
	Basketball (Wales only)
	Boxing
	Volleyball (except England)
	 Rules have been submitted and reviewed—final versions yet to be produced:
	Gymnastics
	Rowing
	 Rules near sign off:
	Equestrian
	 Delays due to sport new to Olympics:
	Handball
	 Winter sports
	 Rules have been submitted and reviewed—final versions yet to be produced:
	Bobsleigh

TRANSPORT

Aviation: Heathrow Airport

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the number and proportion of flights from Heathrow Airport which were to UK destinations in the last three years for which figures are available.

Gillian Merron: The estimated number and proportion of flights from Heathrow airport to UK destinations in the last three years were as follows:
	
		
			   Total number of flights from Heathrow (Thousand)  Number of flights to UK destinations (Thousand)  Percentage of flights from Heathrow to UK destinations 
			 2003 229 30 13 
			 2004 235 31 13 
			 2005 236 32 13 
			  Source: Civil Aviation Authority

Biofuels

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment he has made of performance against the Government's targets for increasing the use of biofuels.

Stephen Ladyman: Details of monthly and annual biofuel sales are available via http://www.uktradeinfo.com/ index.cfm?task=bullhydro. Biofuel sales have increased steadily in the UK since the introduction of the 20p per litre fuel duty incentive for biodiesel and bioethanol, and in January 2007 accounted for some 0.8 per cent. of total transport fuel sales. During the calendar year 2005, biofuel sales made up some 0.25 per cent. of total transport fuel sales against the target of 0.3 per cent. which the UK set under the European Union's Biofuels Directive (2003/30/EC).
	The Government have announced that they will introduce a renewable transport fuel obligation (RTFO) in April 2008, which will require transport fuel suppliers to ensure that a certain percentage of their total transport fuel sale comes from biofuels. The level of the RTFO will be 2.5 per cent. in the financial year 2008-09, rising to 3.75 per cent. in 2009-10 and 5 per cent. in 2010-11. The Government are currently consulting on both the detailed design of the RTFO and how it might evolve over time.

Excise Duty (Reduced Pollution) (Amendment) Regulations 2000

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the  (a) one-off and  (b) recurring cost of implementing the Excise Duty (Reduced Pollution) (Amendment) Regulations 2000 (EU Pollution Directive 98/69/EC) to (i) businesses and (ii) the regulators.

Stephen Ladyman: The Reduced Pollution Certificate (RPC) scheme offers reduced rates of vehicle excise duty to heavy goods vehicle and public service vehicle operators who take action, generally by fitting a particulate trap, to reduce the particulate emissions of their vehicles to a target level below what would be required for a vehicle constructed to the Euro standard of that vehicle.
	The initial regulations passed in 1998 were amended by the 2000 regulations. The principal purpose was to replace what had been the anticipated particulate standard for Euro 4 and 5 vehicles (the level that Euro 2 and 3 vehicles respectively had to reach to obtain an RPC) with the more stringent level actually agreed by the EU. This closed a loophole that had enabled a number of operators to obtain RPCs while taking little, if any, positive action to retrofit their vehicles.
	The costs to business per vehicle with an RPC are estimated as follows:
	fitting participate trap or fitting or converting engine to gas (£4,300 average)
	test/certification fee. The initial RPC runs for just under two years initially, with retest fee payable annually thereafter. A test carried out in isolation currently costs £27, whereas a test in conjunction with a roadworthiness or other test costs £16 above those test fees
	cost of presenting the vehicle for test—estimated to be £100 but this can be avoided where, as is usually the case, the test is conducted on the same day as the vehicle's annual roadworthiness test
	In 2003-04, a total of 30,080 RPCs were issued, of which 6,776 were first RPCs. Assuming maximum costs under each of the last two aforementioned points (£27 and £100) apply to all RPCs, but retrofitment costs (£4,300) only to the first RPCs, yields an aggregate cost for 2003-04 of £32.9 million.
	Costs to the regulator are met through the fees for certification and testing.

First Great Western

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps First Great Western is taking to reduce emissions from their locomotives; what its published commitments to the Government are for reducing the company's carbon footprint; and what recent assessment has been made by the Department on progress with reduction of emissions.

Tom Harris: The engines in all the power cars of the high speed trains operated by First Great Western (FGW) are being replaced by modern engines with lower emissions and lower fuel consumption. FGW is committed under its franchise agreement to completing this programme at the latest by the end of June 2008.
	Railway passenger operators are required by their passenger licences to establish a written policy to protect the environment from the effect of licensed activities. A copy of FGW's policy is available from the Office of Rail Regulation's public register.
	The Department monitors progress on implementation of FGW's contractual commitments.

Highways Agency: Vehicles

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many Highways Agency traffic officer patrol cars  (a) entered and  (b) left service in each of the last three years.

Stephen Ladyman: The information requested in the following table.
	
		
			  Period  Vehicles entering service  Vehicles leaving service 
			 April 2004 to March 2005 25 0 
			 April 2005 to March 2006 139 1 
			 April 2006 to date 27 28

Lorries: Accidents

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many accidents involving heavy goods vehicles were reported to the police in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and how many involved foreign-registered heavy goods vehicles.

Stephen Ladyman: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 29 June 2006,  Official Report, columns 562-63W. The requested information is updated on an annual basis. 2006 data will be published in summer 2007.

Official Cars

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which vehicle models are used by the Government Car and Despatch Agency; and how many of each type of vehicle are owned by the agency.

Stephen Ladyman: The Government Car and Despatch Agency uses the vehicles shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Vehicle  Type  Total 
			 Hyundai Sonata Car 7 
			 Jaguar saloon Car 20 
			 Rover 75 Car 11 
			 Toyota Prius Car 77 
			 Ford Galaxy Car 6 
			 Ford Mondeo Car 36 
			 Ford Transit Van 35 
			 Ford Connect Van 12 
			 Ford Sierra Car 1 
			 Vauxhall Vectra Car 10 
			 Vauxhall Corsa Car 5 
			 Vauxhall Astra Car 2 
			 Vauxhall Omega Car 8 
			 Volvo S80 Car 2 
			 Peugeot 607 Car 7 
			 Peugeot Partner Van 1 
			 Isuzu NQR70 Truck 1 
			 Land Rover Discovery Car 1 
			 Daimler Limo Car 1 
			 7.5 tonne Leyland DAF Truck 3 
			 Mercedes Sprinter Van 2 
			 18 tonne MAN Truck 1 
			 Mercedes Vito Van 1 
		
	
	The GCDA operates two core businessesGovernment Cars, providing long and short term chauffeur and car hire services for the secure movement of Ministers, officials and others; and Government Mail, providing secure mail distribution services within Government and the wider public sector.

Ports: Planning Permission

Julian Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 8 February 2007,  Official Report, columns 1065-66W, on ports: planning permission, which of the projects  (a) have received and  (b) are expected to receive a subsidy from public funds.

Stephen Ladyman: Of the ports for which the Department has approved Harbour Works Orders since 1998,  (a) Liverpool city council has received European regional development funding (ERDF) of 7.85 million towards construction of the new city centre cruise terminal; and  (b) East Port Great Yarmouth has been granted (but not yet received) a composite package of public funding totalling 18.75 million towards construction of an outer harbour.

Public Transport: Cambridge

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library a copy of the Cambridge Capacity Study.

Tom Harris: It is my intention to make a copy of the study available in the House Library. This will take account of any commercial sensitivities and will be available once the evaluation of the study's options is complete.

Public Transport: Cambridge

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the timetable is for a decision on the Cambridge Capacity Study.

Tom Harris: DfT is currently in the process of evaluating the options proposed by the study, which was received in late December 2006. In order to take full advantage of potential minor infrastructure enhancements, a decision on the preferred option would be required by summer 2007.

Public Transport: Cambridge

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what changes to the rail timetable are proposed in the Cambridge Capacity Study.

Tom Harris: The options currently under evaluation represent a combination of amending the current service pattern to make better use of the available train capacity, running a small number of additional services and some train lengthening.

Public Transport: Cambridge

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to consult on rail timetable changes proposed in the Cambridge Capacity Study.

Tom Harris: To the extent that any proposed changes to the timetable arising from the preferred option are beyond the current First Capital Connect (FCC) service level commitment, FCC, not the Department for Transport, is obliged to consult with all statutory stakeholders.

Public Transport: Cambridge

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the Cambridge Capacity Study includes estimates of the likely changes to journey times for commuters in North East Hertfordshire; and if he will make a statement.

Tom Harris: The study includes various timetable options which may result in some journey time changes. To the extent that any of the options are taken forward and are in excess of the journey time specified in the current service level commitment, First Capital Connect is obliged to consult with all statutory stakeholders.

Railways: Thames Valley

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment of maximum passenger capacity was made prior to finalising Service Level Commitment 2 for the Greater Western Franchise.

Tom Harris: Bidders for the franchise were required to assess demand and propose plans to meet it. The Department for Transport, as part of its technical evaluation of bids, assessed bidders' plans to meet their forecast demand, and concluded that the bid from First, to whom the franchise was awarded, was in this respect acceptable in terms of delivery.
	First Great Western's franchise contains ongoing obligations in relation to capacity.

Railways: Timetables

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he last discussed the future of the printed version of the National Rail Timetable with  (a) Network Rail and  (b) the train operating companies; and if he will make a statement.

Tom Harris: Any decision to change the content, publication and distribution of the National Rail Timetable is the responsibility of Network Rail.
	My hon. Friend should contact Network Rail's Chief Executive at the following address for an answer to his question:
	John Armitt,
	Chief Executive,
	Network Rail,
	40 Melton Street,
	London NW1 2EE.

Road Works: Regulation

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress is being made in controlling and regulating road works by utilities.

Gillian Merron: The Government are currently implementing regulations under parts 3 and 4 of the Traffic Management Act 2004 to update the current system of managing roadworks by utilities, known as street works, and giving local highway authorities powers to implement more proactive controls by allowing them to apply to use permit schemes.

Safety Belts

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what funding his Department allocated in each of the last five years to means of raising awareness of the dangers of travelling by car without using a seatbelt.

Stephen Ladyman: The dangers of travelling by car without using a seat belt form part of the Government's THINK! road safety campaign. The Government are investing around 17 million in the THINK! campaign in this fiscal year (FY2006-07).
	The total campaign costs for the THINK! seat belts campaign since the 2002-03 fiscal year are as follows:
	
		
			  THINK! seat belts campaign costs 
			  Fiscal year   
			 2002-03 1.49 million 
			 2003-04 2.03 million 
			 2004-05 1.50 million 
			 2005-06 1.57 million 
			 2006-07 (1)225,000 
			 (1) Expected outturn. 
		
	
	The expenditure for the THINK! seat belts campaign for this fiscal year (FY2006-07) was reduced so that more resource could be devoted to raising awareness to the changes in the law on mobile phones and child car seats.

Shipping: Safety

Julian Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the compliance with the UK's treaty obligations under the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea of introducing a price mechanism into the maritime radio spectrum; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: The Independent Audit of Spectrum Holdings and the subsequent Government response, agreeing with the audit, found that there is scope for more effective use of public sector radio spectrum. The Office for Communications (Ofcom) and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) are charged with beginning work to introduce Administered Incentive Pricing (AIPthe 'price mechanism') to some elements of maritime radio spectrum use, including radar and communications. In its response to the audit, the MCA stressed that the safety case is paramount in any proposals to introduce pricing and bandsharing. In respect of obligations both within the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the Department is considering its position. There are no substantive proposals at this stage as to whether and how AIP should be applied to the maritime sector. Before any proposals are progressed, full technical trials will be undertaken together with assessments of conformity with relevant international conventions.

Smith Institute

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much money from the public purse  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies gave to (i) the Smith Institute and (ii) its subsidiary SI Events Limited in each year since 1997; and for what purpose each payment was made.

Gillian Merron: We have no record of money having been spent by the Department for Transport with the Smith Institute or SI Events Limited since the Department was formed in May 2002.

Transport: Orders and Regulations

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the  (a) one-off cost and  (b) ongoing costs of implementing the Non-Road Mobile Machinery (Emission of Gaseous and Particulate Pollutants) (Amendment) Regulations 2004 to (i) businesses and (ii) the regulators.

Stephen Ladyman: These regulations introduced emissions requirements for small off-road petrol engines and portable diesel generating set engines in order to reduce emissions and contribute towards the Government's air quality objectives. The costs, as set out in the regulatory impact assessment, are an average ongoing cost of 9.8 million per annum to purchasers of new, internal combustion engined, off-road equipment.
	The regulations did not impose any costs on the Department.

Transport: Wales

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what additional funding will be made available for Wales from the Local Transport Capital Settlement for 2007-08.

Gillian Merron: The Local Transport Capital Settlement covers local authorities in England (outside London). The equivalent funding support for Welsh local authorities is distributed by the devolved Welsh Administration.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Departments: Electronic Equipment

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many items of electrical equipment were discarded by his Department in each year since 2001; and what percentage of those were recycled.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department of Trade and Industry did not maintain records of discarded electrical items until 2 January 2007. Since that date we have not discarded any electrical items.

Departments: Electronic Equipment

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what guidance his Department has issued to other departments on the disposal of electrical equipment.

Malcolm Wicks: The Department of Trade and Industry published Guidance Notes on the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations on 28 February 2007. These include information for users of electrical equipment on options available for the disposal of WEEE once the WEEE Regulations come into full effect on 1 July 2007.

Departments: Redundancy

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much was spent on  (a) involuntary and  (b) voluntary staff exit schemes in (i) his Department and (ii) each agency of the Department in each year since 1997-98; how much is planned to be spent for 2007-08; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department has spent the following on voluntary and involuntary exit schemes:
	
		
			   million 
			   Voluntary  Involuntary 
			 2004-05 5.23 0.05 
			 2005-06 11.98 0.16 
			 2006-07 (1)8.43 1.20 
			 (1)Estimated 
		
	
	The information for earlier years could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	The Department will always try to deal with staff surpluses by means other than redundancy. If redundancies become unavoidable the Department will endeavour to reduce staff by voluntary rather than involuntary means wherever possible. The Department is currently restructuring and is administering a voluntary exit scheme to deal with emerging surpluses which will run into 2007-08. The full extent of voluntary and involuntary exit costs is not yet available.
	Letters from the Department's agenciesthe Companies House, Insolvency Service, National Weights and Measures Laboratory, and the Patent Officeare provided separately.
	 Letter from Jeff Llewellyn, dated 8 March 2007:
	The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has asked me to reply on behalf of the National Weights and Measures Laboratory (NWML) to your question regarding how much was spent on (a) involuntary and (b) voluntary staff exit schemes in (i) his Department and (ii) each agency of the Department in each year since 1997-98; how much is planned to be spent for 2007-08; and if he will make a statement. 123930.
	The National Weights  Measures Laboratory has not conducted any such schemes in any year since 1997-1998, and has no plans to introduce any during the period 2007-2008.
	 Letter from Desmond Flynn, dated 8 March 2007:
	The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has asked me to reply to you directly on behalf of the Insolvency Service in respect of your question (1343/2006), asking how much was spent on (a) involuntary and (b) voluntary staff exit schemes in (i) his Department and (ii) each agency of the Department in each year since 1997-98, and how much is planned to be spent for 2007-08.
	No members of Insolvency Service staff have been included in such exit schemes during the relevant period. The Insolvency Service currently has no plans to offer exit schemes to its staff during 2007-08.
	 Letter from Ron Marchant, dated 8 March 2007:
	Please see the following, from the Patent Office, in response to your recent parliamentary questions.
	Written PQ 2006/1343: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how much was spent on (a) involuntary and (b) voluntary staff exit schemes in (i) his Department and (ii) each agency of the Department in each year since 1997-98; how much is planned to be spent for 2007-08; and if he will make a statement. 123930
	There were no involuntary staff exist schemes in the Patent Office in this period. The full cost of voluntary early retirement and severance schemes is charged to the office in the year the decision is made. The full figures charged to our accounts are:
	
		
			   000 
			 1997-98 155 
			 1998-99 562 
			 1999-2000 197 
			 2000-01 289 
			 2001-02 34 
			 2002-03 237 
			 2003-04 16 
			 2004-05 13 
			 2005-06 2,444 
		
	
	 Letter from Tim Moss, dated 8 March 2007:
	I am responding to your recently tabled Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on behalf of Companies House, which is an Executive Agency of the DTI.
	Since 1997, Companies House has run staff exit schemes as follows:
	
		
			   Cost ()  Description 
			 1999 795,000 Compulsory early retirement/early severance 
			 2003 250,000 Compulsory early retirement/early severance 
			 2006 955,447 Voluntary early retirementflexible 
			 2007-08 (1)  
			 (1 )Budgeted cost of 2.2 million for flexible voluntary early retirement/severance

Smith Institute

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much money from the public purse  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies have given to (i) the Smith Institute and (ii) its subsidiary SI Events Ltd. in each year since 1997; and for what purpose each payment was made.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Data are not held centrally at this level of detail for the Department's agencies. Data before 1999 are kept on microfiche and cannot be retrieved without disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  FY  Amount to Smith Institute  Amount to SI Events Ltd.  Purpose 
			 1999-2000 8,000  Contribution to project study 
			 2000-01 60  Publications 
			 2001-02 0   
			 2002-03 6,800  Economic Summit 
			 2003-04 3,200  Economic Summit 
			 2004-05 0   
			 2005-06 (1)10,438 (2)7,050 (1,2) 
			 2006-07 50  Membership fee 
			 (1) Debate on procmt policy and round table event (2) Debate on procmt policy

Insolvency: East Sussex

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many people were declared insolvent in  (a) Eastbourne and  (b) East Sussex in each of the last five years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Regional insolvency statistics are only available on the basis of the locations of official receivers offices, each of which cover a group of county courts where the cases are heard and the courts having jurisdiction over these. It is not possible to provide bankruptcy statistics by constituency, county or Government office region. The following table provides the bankruptcy order statistics considered to be closest to those of interest, but they should not be treated as reliable estimates for the administrative geographies requested.
	
		
			   Eastbourne county court  Brighton OR's office( 1)  South East region (OR based) 
			 2002 84 797 3,052 
			 2003 148 958 4,618 
			 2004 190 1,086 5,616 
			 2005 263 1,653 7,328 
			 2006 307 1,808 9,536 
			 (1) Brighton OR's office covers the following county courts: Bognor Regis, Brighton, Chichester, Eastbourne, Hastings, Haywards Heath, Horsham, Lewes and Worthing.

Mining: Pensions

Tony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many members of the Mineworkers Pension Scheme are receiving a pension of less than 10 a week.

Malcolm Wicks: I understand that, as at 5 March 2007, of the pensions in payment by the Mineworkers' Pension Scheme 24,444 were for less than 10 a week.

Mining: Pensions

Tony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage increase in payments has been made to  (a) the chairman and trustees and  (b) the members of the Mineworkers Pension Scheme and the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme since 1994.

Malcolm Wicks: I understand that the Chairmen of the Mineworkers' Pension Scheme (MPS) Trustees and British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme (BCSSS) Trustees were not remunerated by the schemes until 1995 in the case of the BCSSS and 1996 in the case of the MPS. The current rate of remuneration for chairing the Committee of Management for each scheme is 30,000 a year, an increase of 100 per cent. since inception. In addition, the current Chairman of the BCSSS receives an additional 5,000 for also chairing the Investment Sub-Committee. Other Trustees were not remunerated by the schemes until 1997 in the case of the BCSSS and 1999 in the case of the MPS. The current rate of remuneration for Trustees is 13,000 a year, an increase since inception of 73 per cent. in the case of the BCSSS and 53 per cent. in the case of the MPS. Additional remuneration is also payable to other Trustees for chairing sub-committees. This amounts to 7,000 a year for the Chairman of the Investment Sub-Committee and 2,000 a year for the Chairmen of other sub-committees.
	I understand that, including the new bonuses payable from April 2007, BCSSS pensions in payment will have increased by 82 per cent. since 1994 and deferred pensions by 89 per cent. For MPS the increases, effective from September 2006, are just under 78 per cent. for pensions in payment and 83 per cent. for deferred pensions.

Mining: Pensions

Tony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the Government will contribute to the 68 million set aside for deferred members by the Mineworkers Pension Scheme in 2006.

Malcolm Wicks: No. It is not our intention to do so.

Mining: Pensions

Tony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much has been received by the Government from the Mineworkers Pension Scheme and the Bristol Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme since 1994; and what estimate was made by the National Audit Office of what this sum would be.

Malcolm Wicks: As part of the guarantee arrangements for these schemes the Government receives 50 per cent. of any surplus declared in the triennial actuarial valuations undertaken by the Government Actuary. The Government's share of each surplus, if any, is paid out over 10 years. The other 50 per cent. is used to enhance members' benefits. Between October 1994 and December 2006 the Government received 1,785 million in respect of such payments from the Mineworkers' Pension Scheme (MPS) and 1,470 million from the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme (BCSSS). A further receipt of 242 million is expected from the BCSSS this month. In addition, the Government have used just over 68 million from the MPS Investment Reserve to fund lump-sum payments to members of the MPS on low pensions, and received 154 million from the BCSSS Investment Reserve, of which over 90 million has been used to fund pension liabilities inherited from British Coal. A further payment of 10 million from the BCSSS Investment Reserve is expected this month.
	All payments to the Government as scheme Guarantor are reported in each scheme's published Annual Report and Accounts. Copies of the latest reports are available on each scheme's website
	www.mps-pension.org.uk
	and
	www.bcsss-pension.org.uk
	I understand that a report for the National Audit Office by Binder Hamlyn in 1995 suggested total gross payments to the Treasury from both schemes over 25 years of 8 billion.

Mining: Pensions

Tony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether it is still the intention that the investment reserve within the miners' pension schemes will be repaid to the Government in 2019; and what assessment has been made of the impact on the investment strategy of the funds and the future protection of scheme members.

Malcolm Wicks: The Investment Reserves are British Coal's share of pre-privatisation surpluses that the Government agreed to leave in the schemes' funds as part of the guarantee arrangements. Under the schemes' provisions, and subject to the need to make good any deficits in the funds, they are due to be paid to the Government as guarantor over a period of 25 years from the Guarantee Date of 31 October 1994, or such longer period as the Government may from time to time determine. The Government have not extended this period. I understand that the trustees of each scheme will be looking at the potential effect of this on their investment strategies later this year as part of their regular review process.
	The Government have guaranteed that the pensions to which scheme members were entitled at privatisation, increased each year in line with the retail prices index, will always be paid and that their total pension entitlement, including bonuses funded from the members' share of surpluses, will never fall in cash terms. This guarantee applies, and will be honoured by the Government, regardless of the value of the investment reserves or the solvency of the schemes at any time.

Natural Gas: Wales

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions he has had on the Felindre to Tirley pipeline.

Malcolm Wicks: Since the Department of Trade and Industry consented to this pipeline on 7 February, officials have continued to have discussions about related issues with a range of stakeholders, including the Environment Agency, the Countryside Commission for Wales, the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority and Natural England, as well as National Grid. The discussions have covered various issues, including method working statements and the effective discharge of the consent conditions.

Petrol: Lancashire

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the average price of petrol was in Lancashire in each of the last five years.

Malcolm Wicks: The average pence per litre price of petrol and diesel in the UK over the last five years has been as follows:
	
		
			   Unleaded  Diesel 
			 2002 73.2 75.5 
			 2003 76.0 77.9 
			 2004 80.2 81.9 
			 2005 86.8 90.9 
			 2006 91.3 95.2 
		
	
	Data on petrol prices are not collected regionally.

Post Office Card Account

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many post office card accounts  (a) were closed and  (b) expired in each of the last three years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. Alan Cook the managing director has been asked to reply direct to the hon. Member.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Peace Keeping Operations

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Apache helicopters in Afghanistan have been taken out of operation due to problems with the Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensor system; and what the average time to repair the malfunction has been.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 28 February 2007
	Data for faults arising from Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensor system (TADS/PNVS) on Apache helicopters in Afghanistan are only available for the period 1 May 2006 to 31 January 2007. During this time there were 60 cases with maintenance recorded against them; these may have led to restrictions on aircraft availability. It is not possible to give a definitive answer because we are unable to determine if rectification took place concurrent with routine servicing or other fault rectification.
	It is not possible to give the average repair time, as this information is not held centrally.

Afghanistan: Peace Keeping Operations

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the delivery of the M270 tracked multiple launch rocket system to British forces in Afghanistan.

Adam Ingram: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Defence, announced the deployment of a troop of guided multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS), which are based on the M270 platform, to Afghanistan on 26 February 2007,  Official Report, column 620. They will operate alongside other units of the Royal Artillery in support of UK and ISAF troops in response to NATO's request for additional forces in the South and East of Afghanistan.

Aircraft Carriers: Harrier Aircraft

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Harrier aircraft are currently deployed on each Royal Navy carrier.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 6 March 2007
	There are currently six Harrier aircraft embarked on HMS Illustrious. There are no Harriers embarked on any other Royal Navy ships.

Aircraft Carriers: Harrier Aircraft

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Harrier pilots are certificated for night take-off from, and landings onto, Royal Navy aircraft carriers.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 6 March 2007
	I am withholding the number of pilots qualified as this information would, or would be likely to, prejudice the security of our armed forces. Joint Force Harrier maintains a cadre of sufficient night certificated pilots to meet its contingent liabilities.

Armed Forces: Health Services

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether facilities are being made available for treatment of Iraq and Afghanistan military casualties in addition to those at Selly Oak Hospital.

Derek Twigg: Since April 2001, the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine (RCDM) at University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHBFT) has been the main centre for the receipt of UK armed forces casualties aeromedically evacuated from all over the world, including Iraq and Afghanistan. UHBFT runs the Selly Oak and Queen Elizabeth hospital sites. In a few individual cases, operational casualties have been placed initially for clinical reasons in other hospitals in the Birmingham area and elsewhere, but UHBFT has the capacity to cope with surges in the number of military casualties. In the event of a significant casualty surge, the MOD and UHBFT would jointly manage the receipt under the existing reception arrangements for military patients (RAMP) plan.
	Patients with moderate/minor musculoskeletal injuries, once they have been assessed and provided with a working diagnosis and a planned care pathway, may be referred to the MOD regional rehabilitation unit most convenient for access from the patient's home or parent unit. There are 15 such units throughout the UK and Germany.
	In addition, patients who have received their initial treatment at Birmingham may subsequently be transferred from there to another NHS hospital nearer to their home or parent unit. Patients with multiple injuries (including amputees and those with brain injury) will be transferred at the appropriate stage of their treatment to a rehabilitation facility for further specialist treatment. Dependent on clinical need, this referral is most likely to be to the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre at Headley Court, Surrey.

Armed Forces: Orthopaedics

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what medical, therapeutic or support provision has been made for members of the armed forces who have had to undergo amputation of one or more of their limbs.

Derek Twigg: Service patients who have had to undergo amputation of one or more of their limbs will usually be treated at first in an NHS hospital, generally the Royal College of Defence Medicine (RCDM), where they will be fitted with an initial basic limb. At the appropriate stage in their recovery, they will be transferred to the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre (DMRC) at Headley Court, Surrey.
	DMRC is the principal medical rehabilitation centre run by the armed forces and contains the complex rehabilitation and amputee unit. Here, an individually moulded and appropriate prosthetic limb is manufactured on site and tailored to the specific patient. MOD also has a contract with an external prosthetics provider, whose personnel attend DMRC and contribute to the assessment of the individual. A range of technicians and therapists will be involved in the day-to-day care and treatment, including those employed by the prosthetics contractor.
	A high priority is given to enabling personnel to return to service duty in the same or a similar role to the one they occupied before their injury if at all possible. During their continuing service career, any maintenance of officially-issued prosthetics is provided by the Defence Medical Services. This will usually be provided at one of 15 MOD regional rehabilitation units across the UK and in Germany.

Army: Pay

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average annual pay is of  (a) a British soldier and  (b) a soldier from Gibraltar serving in Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: From 1 April 2007, a trained private in the British Army will receive between 15,677 and 24,328 depending on their trade and length of service. A trained private in the Royal Gibraltar Regiment who deploys for service away from the Territory will receive the same rate of annual pay as his/her UK regular counterpart.

Departments: Incentives

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was spent by his Department on the Golden Hello programme in each year since 1997.

Derek Twigg: The first of the current Golden Hello schemes was introduced in 2002. Information is not currently centrally held on costs on a year by year basis, across all schemes, but their overall cost since 2002 has been 7.24 million.

Departments: Incentives

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Golden Hello programme has been  (a) suspended and  (b) partially suspended at any time.

Derek Twigg: There has been no suspension or partial suspension of the current Golden Hello schemes since the first was introduced in 2002.

Engagements

George Galloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what dates Ministers in his Department made official visits to the London boroughs of  (a) Tower Hamlets,  (b) Newham and  (c) Waltham Forest in each year since 1997.

Derek Twigg: The Department does not maintain details about the local authority areas visited on official visits. The retrospective collection of the information would incur disproportionate cost.

Hercules Aircraft

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration he has given to operationally resting a number of C130 airframes.

Adam Ingram: We routinely rest aircraft during normal operations for planned scheduled maintenance and to carry out any required upgrades. This ensures that airworthiness and safety are never compromised.
	In financial year 2006-07 a decision was made to retire four C130 Hercules aircraft at the end of the financial year. Three of these aircraft were then operationally paused because they were either due scheduled maintenance or had reached the end of their outer wing safe life. It was therefore deemed as uneconomical to carry out this scheduled maintenance or wing replacement activity prior to their formal retirement from service.

Iraq: Peace Keeping Operations

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many soldiers in Welsh regiments have been killed in Iraq, broken down by cause of death.

Derek Twigg: Five armed forces personnel from Welsh regiments have been killed in Iraq since March 2003, three were killed in operational accidents (road traffic accidents), one was killed in action and one died of wounds sustained from hostile action.

Navy: Surveys

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what ships were represented by the survey of Royal Navy personnel at sea on 9 January.

Derek Twigg: The ships at sea on 9 January 2007, representing those from which we calculated the number of Royal Navy personnel at sea, were Her Majesty's Ships:
	Ark Royal
	Edinburgh
	Gloucester
	Manchester
	Campbeltown
	Sutherland
	Montrose
	Iron Duke
	Lancaster
	Richmond
	St. Albans
	Endurance
	Walney
	Atherstone
	Cattistock
	Pembroke
	Quorn
	Tyne
	Mersey
	Clyde
	Dumbarton Castle
	Enterprise
	Scott
	Gleaner
	Sabre
	Scimitar
	Dasher
	Pursuer
	Ramsey
	Blyth
	Echo
	In addition, we were maintaining the continuous at sea deterrent. Of the Royal Fleet Auxiliaries at sea on 9 January, only RFA Fort George has permanently embarked Royal Navy personnel.

Prisoners of War: World War II

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reason some information provided in the 1945 General Questionnaire for British/American Ex-Prisoners of War has not been released into the public domain; when he expects to be able to release that information; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 1 March 2007
	The surviving cache of War Office Directorate of Military Intelligence Liberated Prisoner of War Interrogation Questionnaires totalling more than 400 boxes was transferred to The National Archives (TNA) in 2004 into TNA class WO344. No information from these questionnaires remains closed in MOD.
	Where allied prisoners of war reported that they had witnessed or obtained information about war crimes, supplementary questionnaires might have been completed. These 'Form Q' questionnaires were often passed to war crime investigation units, and surviving files copies may be at TNA in classes WO235, WO309, WO310, WO311 and WO325.
	In recent months around 500 files covering World War II war crime investigation have been transferred by MOD to TNA with another, final, transfer of 600 files due in the next few months. These files are known to contain a small number of Q questionnaires linked to specific war crime investigations.

Trident

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  if he will update the committed and contingent figures in table 7 of Annexe B to Supporting Essay 6 of the Strategic Defence Review 1998;
	(2)  what the estimated annual operating cost is of conventional forces  (a) committed to the protection of Trident and  (b) with a contingent role in the protection of Trident, calculated on the same basis as the figures provided in the answer to the hon. Member for Crawley of 2 November 1998,  Official Report, columns 349-50W, on Trident.

Des Browne: In addition to the four Vanguard-class submarines, all of which are dedicated to Military Task 1.2Nuclear Deterrencethe current planned force elements assigned to support nuclear deterrence are shown in the following table. The changes in both committed and contingent forces since publication of Supporting Essay 6 of the Strategic Defence Review reflect the changing nature of the threat to the deterrent, and of our response to that threat as described in paragraphs 2.7 and 2.8 of the 2004 White Paper, 'Delivering Security in a Changing WorldFuture Capabilities' (CM6269).
	
		
			  Force element  Committed(  l)  Contingent( 2) 
			 Attack submarines 0 2 
			 Destroyers and frigates 0 1 
			 Minewarfare vessels 1 3 
			 Royal fleet auxiliary vessels 0 1 
			 Survey vessels 1 0 
			 Merlin ASW helicopters 0 5 
			 Maritime and reconnaissance aircraft 0 8 
			 (1) Force elements committed to the military task as their primary role (2) Force elements held contingent are assigned to a number of tasks and are not planned routinely to deploy in support of the deterrent. 
		
	
	We do not routinely calculate the operating cost of specific committed or contingent force elements in support of the deterrent, and such estimates are necessarily illustrative, given the differing cost of varied operating patterns. A broad order estimate, however, of the annual operating costs of committed conventional force elements would be around 25-30 million.
	A similar estimate for contingent conventional force elements would be around 250-300 million, although this is the estimated cost of generating these force elements for a range of tasks and it is not the cost of support to the deterrent.
	These estimated costs are not directly comparable to those given in 1998, as the calculation has been conducted on a different basis using a more recent methodology.

Warships

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will identify the four warships of destroyer or frigate size and above at  (a) low and  (b) very low readiness due to their being in refit referred to in his letter of 12 February 2007 to the hon. Member for New Forest, East; and if he will identify the sixth such warship, other than those four vessels and HMS Invincible, which is also in such a readiness state.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 6 March 2007
	I refer the hon. Member to my letter of 6 March 2007, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House.

Warships

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the future programme of activities is for  (a) HMS Albion,  (b) HMS Bulwark and  (c) HMS Ocean.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 6 March 2007
	I am withholding the information as it would, or would be likely to, prejudice the security of our armed forces.

Warships: Portsmouth

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons the number of warships based at Portsmouth has been reduced since 2004.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 26 February 2007
	The number of warships based in Portsmouth, as in any port, will change as old warships are taken out of service and new warships enter service. Warships may also from time to time be reassigned to a different base port. A number of Portsmouth-based warships have been taken out of service since 2004: three Type 42 destroyers, two Type 23 frigates, two mine counter measures vessels and one offshore patrol vessel.

PRIME MINISTER

Departments: Ministerial Policy Advisers

Theresa May: To ask the Prime Minister how much has been allocated for political advisers for the Prime Minister for 2007-08.

Tony Blair: Since 2003, the Government have published on an annual basis the names and overall cost of special advisers and the number in each pay band.
	I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement I made on 24 July 2006,  Official Report, columns 86-91WS. Information on the number of special advisers before 2003 was provided at regular intervals. This information is available in the Libraries of the House. Information on special advisers for 2007-08 will be published in the normal way.

Petitions: Internet

Dai Davies: To ask the Prime Minister whether he plans to respond to each person who signs up to support each petition on the Number 10 website.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 5 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1668W.

Petitions: Internet

Mark Francois: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  whether the email addresses of individuals who sign an e-petition on the Downing street website are kept after the deadline for signing has passed;
	(2)  how many individual email addresses were collected as they signed e-petitions on the Downing street website.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for North-East Hertfordshire (Mr. Heald) on 5 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1668W.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Written Questions

Dai Davies: To ask the Leader of the House if he will assess the merits of arranging for the publication in the  Official Report of all letters written to hon. Members by Ministers and from chief executives of non departmental public bodies in lieu of a written parliamentary answer.

Jack Straw: Yes. As a result of the hon. Member's question, I have put in hand the assessment he suggests. I will issue a written ministerial statement when it is complete.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Committees: Ministerial Attendance

Ben Wallace: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs on what occasions  (a) she and  (b) departmental Ministers have been requested to appear before committees of (i) devolved institutions and (ii) the European Parliament since 2004; on what topic in each case; how many and what proportion of such requests were accepted; and if she will make a statement.

Vera Baird: It is not possible to find out whether DCA Ministers have been requested to appear before these committees since 2004 without incurring disproportionate cost.

Lord Chancellor: Functions

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to the answer of 6 February 2007,  Official Report, column 881W, on the Lord Chancellor: functions, what the  (a) purpose and  (b) occasion was of the seven functions that were funded through the public purse.

Bridget Prentice: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 11 January 2007,  Official Report, column 690W.

Magistrates Courts: Legal Aid

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what recent representations she has received on access to legal aid in cases before magistrates courts.

Vera Baird: Since 2 October 2006, the issue of access to legal aid in cases before the magistrates courts has been raised in approximately 20 pieces of correspondence to my Department.

Smith Institute

Mark Hoban: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much money from the public purse  (a) her Department and  (b) its agencies gave to (i) the Smith Institute and (ii) its subsidiary SI Events Ltd. in each year since 1997; and for what purpose each payment was made.

Vera Baird: The Department and its agencies have not given or paid any monies from the public purse in any year since 1997 to the Smith Institute or its subsidiary SI Events Ltd.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

British Overseas Territories

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which  (a) uninhabited and  (b) other overseas island territories are UK possessions.

Geoff Hoon: The British Overseas Territories of the British Antarctic Territory, the British Indian Ocean Territory, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands have no indigenous populations. The other British Overseas Territories are Anguilla, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, the Pitcairn Islands, St. Helena and its dependencies (Ascension and Tristan da Cunha), the Turks and Caicos Islands, and the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia in Cyprus. The British Antarctic Territory and Gibraltar are not islands.

Brunei

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when her Department last engaged in formal discussions with the government of Brunei Darussalam; and what was discussed at that meeting.

Ian McCartney: I met Pehim Lim, Second Minister of Foreign Affairs, on 4 December 2006. This was the most recent formal ministerial-level meeting. We discussed the close and constructive UK-Brunei bilateral relationship, the Association of South East Asian Nations, Burma and interfaith issues.
	We also have regular discussions with the Bruneian government at an official level on a range of issues, in London and Bandar Seri Begawan.

Brunei

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether  (a) she and  (b) representatives from her Department have any plans to visit Brunei Darussalam in 2007 to build bilateral relations.

Ian McCartney: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has no current plans to visit Brunei, but there are regular visits by officials in both directions. The bilateral relationship between the UK and Brunei is close, based on historical ties, with strong defence, education and trade links.
	I met Pehim Lim, Second Minister of Foreign Affairs, on 4 December 2006. This was the most recent formal ministerial-level meeting. We discussed the close and constructive UK-Brunei bilateral relationship, the Association of South East Asian Nations, Burma and interfaith issues.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Armed Conflict

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations her Department has made to the United Nations on resolving the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo; and what estimate she has made of the impact this conflict has had on numbers of people seeking asylum from that country within the United Kingdom.

Ian McCartney: Our embassy in Kinshasa works closely with MONUC (UN peacekeeping force) and the UN Special Representative for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), William Swing. We also work closely with the UN in New York in our efforts to achieving durable peace in the DRC. I met William Swing on 2 March in London to discuss the situation in the DRC, as did my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development, and officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Department for International Development and Ministry of Defence.
	We welcome the progress made in bringing peace and stability to the DRC following recent democratic elections. But we remain concerned by pockets of ongoing conflict in eastern DRC. We continue to encourage MONUC to act robustly against militia groups who threaten the civilian population and support their current mandate and troop strength to do this.
	We are aware that conflict can cause people to leave their countries and claim asylum elsewhere. The number of people from the DRC claiming asylum in the UK has fallen since the country began to stabilise in 2003.

Eastern Europe: Official Visits

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the outcomes were of the Minister of State for Europe's recent visit to the Ukraine and Moldovia; and if she will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: holding answer 7 March 2007
	During my visit to Ukraine I had the opportunity to discuss with the President and the Prime Minister, as well as other opinion formers, Ukraine's aim of closer integration with the EU. I underlined the UK's strong support for this objective. I observed the progress that has been made in consolidating democracy and media freedom since the Orange revolution and encouraged those I met to continue to build on these changes. I also underlined the UK's support for Ukraine's reform programme which will bring them closer to the EU's standards and norms and allow Ukraine's relationship with the EU to be further developed.
	During my visit to Moldova I met with President Voronin as well as other Ministers and leading opinion formers. I discussed Moldova's aim of closer integration with the EU, and their implementation of the EU Moldova Action Plan. I was able to hear in more detail Moldova's priorities for reform, and to restate the UK's support for closer EU integration as well as practical support for the process of reform. I also met civil society representatives and heard their views of the major issues Moldova faces.

Iran: Nuclear Power

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations her Department has made to the United Nations on the refusal by Iran to meet the deadline imposed by the International Atomic Energy Agency on its uranium enrichment programme.

Kim Howells: As the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Dr. Mohammed El-Baradei, made clear in his most recent report on 22 February, Iran has failed to take the steps required by the United Nations Security Council, including full suspension of all uranium enrichment related, reprocessing and heavy water related activities. The Security Council said in resolution 1737, adopted unanimously on 23 December 2006, that it would adopt further sanctions if Iran did not comply. Senior officials from the 'E3+3' (France, Germany, UK + China, Russia, US) met in London on 24 February to discuss next steps and E3+3 permanent representatives in New York did so on 5 March. We expect to discuss a further resolution with Security Council members soon.

Iraq: United Nations

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what account she has taken of United Nations Security Council resolution 1325 in formulating UK foreign policy in Iraq.

Kim Howells: The UK maintains a regular dialogue with the Iraqi government, at various levels, about the important role of women in society. The Iraqi Constitution contains provisions that protects womens' rights and their role in national decision making, for example electoral law must aim to achieve at least 25 per cent. female representation in the Council of Representatives. The UK has taken a number of steps to support this, most recently we:
	part-funded a conference on using international human rights law and Iraqi domestic law to protect women's rights, for Iraqi judges, parliamentarians and women's activists;
	brought a delegation of senior officials from Basra's judiciary, police and prison service to the UK, to examine how the UK deals with women and juvenile issues in detention;
	are supporting a professional skills workshop for women journalists, aimed at ensuring a more diverse and gender-sensitive media; and
	are supporting a seminar for Iraqi civil society organisations to develop projects to highlight the impact of the Iraqi Constitution, currently being reviewed, on women.

Somalia: Official Visits

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions the Minister for Africa had with the President of the Transitional Federal government of Somalia on the security situation in Somalia at their recent meeting; whether they agree on who is responsible for the recent violence in Somalia; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: The President of the Transitional Federal Republic of Somalia and my noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Lord Triesman of Tottenham, spoke about the security situation in Somalia at their recent meeting. They agreed that the arrival of the African Union Mission in Somalia would help to improve security in Somalia. Despite efforts by the Transitional Federal government of Somalia, some rogue elements continue to mount limited attacks. We condemn those responsible for the recent attacks in Mogadishu and call on all parties to reject violence and commit to peaceful dialogue.

Sudan

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports she has received on the recent visit of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran to Sudan; whether she has made representations to the governments of those countries on introducing UN-UK hybrid force units into Darfur; and if she will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: holding answer 7 March 2007
	President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran visited Sudan from 28 February to 1 March following an invitation from President Bashir. President Bashir had previously visited Iran on 24-27 April 2006.
	Press reports suggest that the Presidents discussed bilateral and regional issues. There is no suggestion that President Ahmadinejad pressed President Bashir on the need to accept the hybrid force.
	We regularly press the Government of Sudan to make good on its pledge to accept a UN/African Union (AU) hybrid force, made at last year's AU Abuja summit. We have lobbied a wide range of third countries which we believe would be prepared to use their influence with the Government of Sudan, urging them also to make the case for this.

Turks and Caicos Islands: Elections

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the general elections in the Turks and Caicos Islands on 9 February 2007; and whether they met international standards of being free and fair.

Geoff Hoon: In their public statement the day after the election, the International Observers of the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) elections concluded that the election was conducted in full accordance with electoral law. They will produce a report, with some recommendations on how to further improve the electoral process in the TCI.

UK Membership of EC

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will  (a) make and  (b) place in the Library an assessment of the effects on the UK of membership of the EU since 1973.

Geoff Hoon: The Government's assessments of the positive effects on the UK of EU membership have been set out on many occasions including in Parliamentary debates, speeches and publications. Membership of the EU has brought significant benefits to the UK, for example in terms of wealth, jobs, peace and security. British engagement in Europe is vital to Britain's national interests and assists us in achieving our policy goals. As part of the EU, the UK is better able to deal with global issues like the environment and world trade, and tackle problems like crime, illegal immigration and terrorism.
	As these assessments are already publicly available, including in information on the Government's www.europe.gov.uk website, the Government have no plans to produce a separate assessment at this time.

UN Resolutions

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether any UN Resolutions requiring action by the UK Government have not been complied with; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: As a longstanding, committed and active member of the UN, the UK takes seriously all resolutions which are adopted by UN bodies. While the majority of these resolutions do not give rise to binding obligations, they are important expressions of the international community's opinion on an issue. Only the UN Security Council can adopt binding resolutions. The Government considers that it is acting in compliance with all such legally-binding resolutions applicable to the UK.

USA: Embassies

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many United States citizens are employed by British embassies.

Geoff Hoon: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office employs 13,592 staff in its missions overseas, of which 2,897 are UK-based and 10,695 are locally employed. UK-based staff are British citizens. We do not hold central records on the nationality of local staff. It would not be possible to obtain this information without incurring disproportionate cost.

War Crimes

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 28 February 2007,  Official Report, column 1374W, to the hon. Member for Milton Keynes, South-West (Dr. Starkey), on war crimes, for what reasons she has been reviewing the legal and practical issues raised by the issue of arrest warrants in international cases; and whether she has reached any conclusions.

Joan Ryan: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government have been reviewing the legal and practical issues relating to the issue of arrest warrants in international cases in the light of experience of such cases in recent years, but we have not yet completed our consideration of these matters. Any proposals to change the legislation would be laid before Parliament in the normal way.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Council Tax: Valuation

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will list the property performance indicators which are collected from local authorities.

Phil Woolas: Local authorities are no longer required to submit Property Performance Indicators information to the Department or the regional Government Offices. Although not required to submit this information, local authorities should continue to collect and use these Performance Indicators to help them to effectively manage their assets.

Fire Safety: Costs

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the  (a) one-off and  (b) recurring costs of implementing the Fire Precautions (Workplace) (Amendment) Regulations 1999 to (i) businesses and (ii) the regulators.

Angela Smith: The Government's estimate is given in the regulatory impact assessment that accompanied the Fire Precautions (Workplace) (Amendment) Regulations 1999 when they were laid before the House. I have placed copies of that assessment in the Library.

Housing: Infrastructure

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress has been made with the cross-cutting review of infrastructure requirements for housing as part of the comprehensive spending review announced by her Department on 20th June 2006.

John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government's response to the Barker Review announced the Government would conduct an HM Treasury led CSR07 Policy Review into Supporting Housing Growth to determine the infrastructure implications of housing growth in different spatial forms and locations, establish a framework for sustainable and cost-effective patterns of growth, and ensure that departmental resources across government are targeted appropriately to support growth. The review is ongoing and will report to Treasury Ministers ahead of the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review.

Local Authorities: Disclosure of Information

David Lepper: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what measures her Department has taken to ensure consistency in the fees charged for securing public sector information from local authorities in the UK;
	(2)  what measures her Department has taken to improve consistency in the length of time it takes applicants to secure public sector information from local authorities.

Phil Woolas: It is for each local authority to ensure that it complies with all the applicable statutory requirements about the provision of information. The Department for Communities and Local Government has no role in the enforcement and monitoring of such compliance.

Local Authorities: Disclosure of Information

David Lepper: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what plans her Department has to ensure that local authorities implement the recommendations of the Office of Fair Trading's report on public sector information;
	(2)  what measures she plans to put in place in relation to local authorities which fail to meet the standards recommended in the Office of Fair Trading's report on public sector information.

Phil Woolas: The Government welcome the Office of Fair Trading's report on public sector information and is continuing to study the detail and potential impacts before responding to the recommendations. The Government plan to respond shortly after the local and devolved administrations' elections.

Local Authorities: Members

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance she has issued on whether local authorities should invite local hon. Members to  (a) area forums and  (b) Strategic Partnership Board meetings; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: The current non-statutory LSP guidance issued in 2001 does not prescribe a role for local hon. Members, instead it states that
	the membership, structure and scope of an LSP should reflect both its aims and the breadth of issues that fall within its scope. The precise membership of any partnership will depend on local circumstances and priorities; but LSPs will only be effective if their core membership includes the public, private, community and voluntary sectors.
	The expectation in relation to informal area forums covering a subsection of a local authority area would also be for the membership to be determined locally.
	However, as I emphasised in the recent Commons Committee debate on the Local Government and Public involvement in Health Bill (22 February 2007), the role of Members of Parliament in LSPs and local area agreements in particular is rising up the policy agenda. Members of Parliament have unique experience both of the issues faced by local people and an understanding of the key national priorities and as such their involvement in LAAs will be critical.

Local Government Finance

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what criteria she used in the allocation of capitalisation permissions to local authorities.

Phil Woolas: The criteria used in the allocation of capitalisation directions to local authorities are available on the Communities and Local Government website at:
	http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/capital/capdirsum.htm
	Successful applications for capitalisation in 2006-07 were approved at 57.19 per cent. of the amount applied for. This took into account the Secretary of State's consideration of the effect on the national economy of granting capitalisation directions to local authorities in England for expenditure incurred in the financial year that began on 1 April 2006. The method chosen was considered to be simple, transparent and fair to all authorities. The only exceptions to this were to applications from two authorities where the Government have used its intervention or engagement powers, and whose applications were agreed earlier in the year as part of a wide ranging package of measures aimed at rebuilding the capacity of the authorities to deliver effective services. We are currently discussing a package of sector-led support to help drive forward improvement in Stoke.

Local Government Finance

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average value was of grants awarded to  (a) unitary and  (b) county councils in England in addition to their local government financial settlement in each of the last five years.

Phil Woolas: The information requested is tabled as follows:
	
		
			  Average value of specific grants inside aggregate external finance 
			   million 
			   Unitary authorities  County councils 
			 2001-02 18 59 
			 2002-03 25 80 
			 2003-04 37 97 
			 2004-05 39 109 
			 2005-06 42 114 
			  Source: Communities and Local Government Revenue Outturn returns. 
		
	
	The figures exclude grants outside aggregate external finance (i.e. where funding is not for an authority's core services, but is passed to a third party; for example, as in the case of mandatory student awards), capital grants, funding for local authorities' housing management responsibilities and those grant programmes (such as European funding) where authorities are simply one of the recipients of funding paid towards an area.

Local Government Finance: Dorset

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which grants were awarded to councils in  (a) Poole,  (b) Bournemouth and  (c) Dorset in addition to their local government financial settlement in each of the last five years; and what the value was of each award.

Phil Woolas: Information on grants awarded to Poole UA, Bournemouth UA and Dorset CC in addition to their local government financial settlement in each of the last five years has been made available in a table which has been placed in the Library of the House.
	The figures exclude grants outside AEF (i.e. where funding is not for an authority's core services, but is passed to a third party; for example, as in the case of mandatory student awards), capital grants, funding for local authorities' housing management responsibilities and those grant programmes (such as European funding) where authorities are simply one of the recipients of funding paid towards an area.

Local Government Finance: Greater London

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much has been allocated to each London borough for the purposes of increasing local government efficiency since 2005.

Angela Smith: Funding to support efficiency in local authorities is distributed to nine Regional Centres of Excellence (RCEs), including the London RCE. Funding for individual projects, many of which operate across local authority boundaries, are decided by the RCE Board. Each RCE has its own local governance arrangements for supporting authorities to achieve efficiency gains.

Olympic Games: Leicester

Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions her Department has had with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on the potential role of Leicester in the Olympic Games.

Angela Smith: My Department has not had any specific discussions with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on the potential role of Leicester in the 2012 Olympic games and Paralympic games.
	However, the Government are committed to ensuring that people across the UK can benefit and participate in the 2012 games.
	DCMS are working closely with the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) and the Nations and Regions Group (NRG), which supports local representatives, from business and the community, in planning how to maximise the impact of the games in their area.

Parents: Learning Disability

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to provide local authorities with additional support for parents with learning difficulties to care for their children.

Ivan Lewis: I have been asked to reply.
	The Department will shortly be publishing good practice guidance on working with parents with learning disabilities. One of the purposes of this guidance is to help services to improve their support for parents with a learning disability and their children. The guidance will be aimed at both adult's and children's services.

Social Services: Hertfordshire

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will ensure that the funding formula for adult social services takes account of  (a) trends in the level of demand for the services in an area and  (b) demographic trends in an area, with particular reference to West Hertfordshire.

Phil Woolas: The information requested is as follows.
	 (a) Adult social services in West Hertfordshire are provided by Hertfordshire county council. The social services funding formulae are based on recent evidence of the relative need for social services across England. The current formulae draw on a 2005 survey of 18 local authorities who provide social services. Looking to the future, we are working with local government as part of the spending review process to ensure that demand for social services, and other cost pressures, are adequately funded.
	 (b) There are two adult social services formulae; one for younger adults' social services and another for older people's social services. Each formula is calculated using the number of people in the relevant age group in each council area, and a range of relevant socio economic characteristics. For example the younger adults' social services formula is calculated using the following data:
	Projected resident population aged 18 to 64
	Adults in receipt of disability living allowance aged l8 to 64
	People who have never worked or are long term unemployed
	People in routine occupations
	Households without family
	Using projected population estimates in the funding formulae ensures that the formulae take account of demographic trends in each council area.

Unitary Councils

Kitty Ussher: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the timetable is for making decisions on bids that have been submitted by local authorities for unitary government status.

Phil Woolas: We intend to announce at the end of March which unitary proposals will proceed to the 12-week stakeholder consultation. Following consultation we will reassess those proposals and intend to announce by the end of July 2007 which proposals will proceed to implementation. Subject to Parliament's approval of the necessary legislation, we expect any new unitaries to be fully operational by April 2009.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Anti-discrimination Forms

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what forms were introduced to counter discrimination by law enforcement agents at work since 1997; what the length of each form is; and how many of each type were filled out over 2005-06.

Tony McNulty: In respect of the police, from 1 April 2005, Code of Practice A, issued under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) 1984, on the exercise by police officers of statutory powers of stop and search provides that when an officer requires a person in a public place to account for themselves, a record of the encounter must be completed at the time and a copy given to the person who has been questioned.
	The information required to be completed on the form is set out in paragraph 4.3 of Code of Practice A and includes a requirement to record the ethnicity of the person. The format of the form is a matter for each chief officer of police. Statistics on the use of the power will be published as part of the annual reporting requirements on the exercise of certain police powers under PACE, due for publication in May 2007.
	While the PACE provisions apply equally to officers of the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) the organisation was not formed until 1 April 2006 and therefore was not operational during the period in which statistical information is being sought.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders: Mentally Ill

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what steps he plans to take to monitor the application of the updated guidance from his Department on antisocial behaviour orders in relation to perpetrators of antisocial behaviour suspected of suffering from mental health problems;
	(2)  how many recent notifications he has received of antisocial behaviour orders imposed on children and young people with  (a) mental health problems and  (b) other special needs;
	(3)  how many assessments have taken place since August 2006 of perpetrators of antisocial behaviour who are suffering from mental health conditions.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 1 March 2007
	The decision to grant an antisocial behaviour order (ASBO) rests with the courts, and the agencies that apply for such orders are themselves public bodies that are subject to the disability equality duty. The Home Office's guide to antisocial behaviour orders reminds agencies of their duties and provides a context for their observation, but it is not intended to serve as a substitute for existing monitoring arrangements. The Home Office therefore does not collect data on the health or other needs status of people issued ASBOs by the courts.

Biometrics: Equipment

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the costs of rolling out biometric readers for identity cards across the public services.

John Reid: Until further detailed work with both public and private sector organisations during the preparation and initial rollout of the Identity Card Scheme is complete, it is not possible to provide the precise mix of services each organisation may require and thus, it is not possible to provide a final estimate of the number and total cost of biometric readers across the public services at this stage.

Burglary

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 1 March 2007,  Official Report, columns 1501-02W, on burglaries, what initiatives are being taken  (a) to encourage greater reporting of distraction burglaries and  (b) to increase the number of convictions for these crimes.

Vernon Coaker: All Home Office publicity materials on bogus callers emphasise the importance of reporting suspicious callers and instances of distraction burglary.
	At the local level partners including health and care professionals and voluntary sector bodies encourage the reporting of bogus caller incidents in one to one sessions in the home. Other initiatives used to promote positive doorstep behaviour and encourage reporting include theatre presentations, talks at luncheon clubs and events such as special pensioner screenings at cinemas, reporting facilities located in high street drop-in centres, and 'nominated neighbour' schemes.
	To enhance the police response to distraction burglary, a national distraction burglary database and intelligence network has been established to facilitate the sharing of intelligence and support joint operations between forces and with other enforcement bodies including Trading Standards. Best practice including increased use of forensics and other technologies is also encouraged through the network.

Community Policing: Rotherham

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of Safer Neighbourhood teams in Rotherham; and if he will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: The Home Office monitors and evaluates neighbourhood policing nationally through a strategic research programme rather than measuring the performance of individual teams, such as those based in Rotherham. Implementation is measured by repeat surveys of all forces and basic command units (BCUs), and results are being compared with outcomes in the Police Performance Assessment Framework (PPAF). Outcomes which should be affected include crime and antisocial behaviour, feelings of safety and security, and satisfaction with, and confidence in, the police. An additional study is testing the impact of neighbourhood policing at a BCU level, following the successful evaluation of the ward level National Reassurance Policing Programme.
	Surveys are being carried out in four Pathfinder BCUs each matched to a comparison site, to measure change in public perceptions and experiences. Results will be published in due course.
	The Home Office also continues to assess police performance through the Policing Performance Assessment Framework (PPAF). The statutory performance indicators in PPAF on public confidence in the police (2a) and perception of antisocial behaviour (10b) measure the impact of neighbourhood policing. Finally, HMIC's baseline assessments also provide a qualitative measure of neighbourhood policing delivery.

Community Support Officers: Cleveland

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police community support officers within Cleveland police are funded by  (a) his Department's resources,  (b) neighbourhood renewal fund resources,  (c) new deal for communities resources and  (d) local authority resources, broken down by local authority area.

Tony McNulty: This information is not collected centrally.
	The Home Office is providing 818,000 from the neighbourhood policing fund (NPF) and 812,000 in other PCSO funding to Cleveland in 2006-07. This funding will assist the force in reaching its target of 122 PCSOs by April 2007. All forces are encouraged to seek funding from a variety of sources including their local community safety partners to meet the costs of police community support officers (PCSOs). Police community support officers play a key role within neighbourhood policing teams in improving community safety. Community safety and the reduction of crime and disorder in all of our communities can only be achieved through effective local partnerships, which include the police service and a range of others, including the local authority, housing providers, and representatives of the voluntary and community sectors.

Crime: Bedfordshire

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what targets were put in place on the rate of convictions to criminal offences in Bedfordshire in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: No targets have been set for the rate of convictions to criminal offences.
	Bedfordshire has a target to bring 13,045 offences to justice in 2006-07, and a target to bring 13,579 offences to justice in 2007-08.
	Each Local Criminal Justice Board (LCJB) has a target to increase the number of offences brought to justice (OBTJ). An offence is said to have been brought to justice when a recorded crime results in an offender being convicted, cautioned, issued with a penalty notice for disorder or a formal warning for possession of cannabis, or having an offence taken into consideration.
	LCJB targets for numbers of OBTJ have been set each year since 2001. The performance by Bedfordshire is given in the following table.
	
		
			  The number of offences brought to justice (OBTJ) in Bedfordshire, 2001-02 to September 2006( 1,2,3) 
			   Number of OBTJ 
			   Achieved  Target 
			 2001-02 11,100 (1)11,140 
			 2002-03 11,900 11,140 
			 2003-04 10,800 11,697 
			 2004-05 12,400 12,271 
			 2005-06 13,600 13,045 
			 2006(4) 13,631 (2)13,045 
			 (1) Baseline (excluding 825/90 offences). (2) To end 2006-07. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (4) Year to September.  Source: RDS Office for Criminal Justice Reform

Crime: Lancashire

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many drink-driving offences were committed within Lancashire in each of the last 10 years.

Vernon Coaker: Available information on the number of convictions at all courts and those dealt with by written warning, taken from the annual Home Office publication Offences relating to motor vehicles, England and Wales Supplementary tables, for the Lancashire police force area, from 1995 to 2004 (latest available) are given in the table.
	2005 data will be available later this year.
	
		
			  The number of driving etc. after consuming alcohol or taking drugs( 1)  offences found guilty at all courts or dealt with by written warning within the Lancashire police force area, 1995-2004 
			 Number of offences 
			   Total findings of guilt at all courts  Written Warnings  Total 
			 1995 2,828 8 2,836 
			 1996 3,211 4 3,215 
			 1997 3,389 5 3,394 
			 1998 2,949 (2) 2,949 
			 1999 3,010 (2) 3,010 
			 2000 2,584 (2) 2,584 
			 2001 2,304 (2) 2,304 
			 2002 2,599 (2) 2,599 
			 2003 2,652 1 2,653 
			 2004 2,706 1 2,707 
			 (1) Offences under the Road Traffic Act 1988.  (2 )Equals nil   Notes:  1. It is known that for some police force areas, the reporting of court proceedings in particular those relating to summary motoring offences, may be less than complete. Work is underway to ensure that the magistrates' courts case management system currently being implemented by the Department for Constitutional Affairs reports all motoring offences to the Office for Criminal Justice Reform. This will enable more complete figures to be disseminated.  2. Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when these data are used.

Departments: Missing Persons

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions his Department has been represented at a meeting of the Missing Persons Strategic Oversight Group since May 2004; and on what dates this occurred.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 28 February 2007
	The Missing Persons Strategic Oversight Group (SOG) met twice, on 22 March 2006 and on 6 November 2006. The Home Office has been represented at both meetings. In addition to SOG meetings, the Home Office, the Department for Education and Skills and the Department of Health have ongoing bilateral contact with other stakeholders represented on the SOG.

Deportation: Convictions

Stephen Pound: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what sanctions are available upon conviction for breach of  (a) a deportation order and  (b) an exclusion order.

Liam Byrne: It is a criminal offence, under section 24(1)(a) of the Immigration Act 1971 to knowingly enter the United Kingdom in breach of a deportation order or without leave. This offence carries a maximum penalty, on summary conviction, of a 5,000 fine and/or six months' imprisonment.
	The power to exclude a person from the UK is a non-statutory power available to the Home Secretary. There are no specific criminal offences in relation to those who enter the UK despite having been excluded, but any leave to enter or remain in the UK obtained by such a person will normally be cancelled or curtailed and steps taken to remove them from this country. A person who exercises deception to secure entry to the UK may be treated as an illegal entrant and be subject to removal or prosecution. The offence of obtaining or seeking leave to enter or remain in the UK by deception carries a maximum penalty on indictment of two years' imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine.

Entry Clearances: Domestic Service

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many domestic worker visas were issued by his Department in each year since 1987, broken down by country of origin.

Kim Howells: I have been asked to reply.
	As the information requested by my right hon. Friend is lengthy I have arranged for a copy to be sent to my right hon. Friend and a copy will also be placed in the Library of the House.
	My right hon. Friend should note the Foreign and Commonwealth Office electronic resources only go as far back as 1998 for domestic worker visas and that the database did not provide reliable data until 2004. Data prior to this date cannot be guaranteed to be 100 per cent. accurate.

Entry Clearances: Indian Subcontinent

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for entry clearance for the purpose of marriage were made by women under the age of 21 years in the calendar year 2006 from  (a) India,  (b) Pakistan and  (c) Bangladesh.

Kim Howells: I have been asked to reply.
	I refer the hon. Member to the following table.
	The hon. Member should note the Foreign and Commonwealth Office keeps central statistics for applicants aged under and over 18, rather than under and over the age of 21.
	
		
			  UK visa applications received by women coming to the UK on the basis of getting married (calendar year (CY) 2006) 
			   Fiance 
			   India  Pakistan  Bangladesh 
			 Under 18 7 1 0 
			 Over 18 255 181 27 
		
	
	
		
			  UK visa applications received by women coming to the UK on the basis of joining their husband (CY 2006) 
			   Wife 
			   India  Pakistan  Bangladesh 
			 Under 18 9 78 4 
			 Over 18 2,863 4,058 2,102

Escape Histories

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether escapes, attempted escapes or absconds from prison are added to an individual's criminal record.

John Reid: While lawfully at large an individual who escapes or absconds from prison is recorded by the police on the Police National Computer (PNC) Wanted/Missing Index when notified by the prison. Such details do not however form part of an individual's conviction history unless charged and convicted for escaping or absconding from prison.

Georgi Markov

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what information  (a) his Department and  (b) the police have concerning the whereabouts of Francesco Gullino, the alleged assassin of Georgi Markov in London in 1978;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to resolve the case of the assassination of Georgi Markov before the statute of limitations comes into effect in 2008;
	(3)  what the outcome was of the interrogation of Francesco Gullino in Copenhagen by British detectives in February 1993;
	(4)  whether  (a) his Department and  (b) the police have had access to copies of the documents in the archive of the Intelligence Directorate of the former state security service compiled by the Bulgarian police investigation into the murder of Georgi Markov.

Tony McNulty: holding answers 19 December 2006
	The investigation into the death of Georgi Markov is a matter for the Commissioner of Metropolitan Police.

Honours Investigation

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the estimated cost has been of the investigation by the Metropolitan Police into alleged breaches of the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925 and the Political Parties and Referendums Act 2000.

Tony McNulty: This is a matter for the Metropolitan Police Authority and the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis.

Identity Cards

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with which companies he has held meetings in relation to identity cards.

John Reid: I have not held any meetings with companies in relation to identity cards.

Informants: Prisons

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 29 January 2007,  Official Report, column 138W, on informants: prisons, how many and what proportion of system managers responsible for overseeing the use of prison informants are in receipt of the new training package introduced in 2006; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Authorising officers (we no longer use the term system manager) in 32 of the 34 establishments testing out the new policy and procedures have now received the new training package. This is 94 per cent. of the pilot sites or 23 per cent. of the prison estate overall.

Informants: Prisons

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 29 January 2007,  Official Report, column 138W, on informants: prisons, whether awareness sessions qualify managers to become involved with prison informants; at what level this engagement takes place; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The legislation and codes of practice do not set minimum standards for training. The awareness sessions for informant controllers and authorising officers will be supplemented by role- specific training available from 12 March 2007.

Channel 4 Dispatches

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment his Department has made of the content of the Channel 4 Dispatches programme on extremism in some mosques, broadcast on 15 January 2007; and what decision has been made about whether criminal offences have been committed by any of the individuals featured.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 8 February 2007
	Responsibility for what is broadcast on television rests with the broadcaster, in this case Channel 4, and the independent regulator for broadcasting standards and content, Ofcom. It is therefore not for the Government to intervene in the content of individual broadcasts.
	Moreover, the Government do not have a role to play in determining whether individual incidents constitute an criminal offence. That is an operational matter for the police and for the Crown Prosecution Service.

Kennet Prison: Manpower

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from the Prison Officers Association on the announcement to open the new prison HMP Kennet in Merseyside.

John Reid: No representations have been received from the Prison Officers Association following the announcement about HM Prison Kennet.

Ministerial Duties

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the roles and responsibilities of the Minister of State for Policing, Security and Community Safety are; and what areas he is responsible for in the answering of written parliamentary questions.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 26 February 2007
	I have responsibility for Policing, Security and Community Safety. This includes responsibility for police reform (including work force reform, restructuring and National Policing Improvement Agency); counter-terrorism; respect and antisocial behaviour.
	Ministers at the Home Office are responsible for answering parliamentary questions on areas covering their own profiles. As Minister of State for Policing, Security and Community Safety I have additional responsibility for improving the Department's performance, processes and systems in answering parliamentary questions.
	Responsibilities of Ministers at the Home Office can also be accessed at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/about-us/organisation/ministers/

National Identity Register

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what  (a) setup and  (b) running costs of the National Identity Register will not be offset by fee revenue.

John Reid: It is intended that the cost of the National Identity Scheme, which includes the National Identity Register, will be primarily funded by fee revenue from the products and services that arise from the Scheme.

Offenders: Learning Disability

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what percentage of state educated people with learning difficulties served prison sentences in each of the last 10 years;
	(2)  what percentage of people with learning difficulties in  (a) England and  (b) Lancashire have a criminal conviction;
	(3)  how many and what percentage of released prisoners with learning difficulties reoffended in each of the last 10 years;
	(4)  what percentage of convicted  (a) murders,  (b) rapists,  (c) armed robbers and  (d) perpetrators of fraud were recorded as having learning difficulties in each of the last 10 years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Information about the percentage of people with learning difficulties that have served a prison sentence is not collected. However, in its evidence to the House of Commons Select Committee on prison education the Disability Rights Commission states that between 20 and 50 per cent. of men in prison have a specific learning difficulty.

Offensive Weapons

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many knife-related offences were committed in England and Wales in each of the last three years.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 27 February 2007
	From the information collected on recorded crime, it is not possible to identify those offences which are knife related. Such offences are not specifically defined by statute and details of the individual circumstances of offences do not feature in the recorded crime statistics.
	Figures are collected for homicides involving the use of sharp instruments but they do not separately identify knife-related offences. The Home Office is working closely with ACPO to develop a knife-enabled crime action plan and is seeking to collate the numbers of knife-related offences for grievous bodily harm through the annual data requirement in 2007-08.

Offensive Weapons

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the knife amnesty held in 2006.

Tony McNulty: The knife amnesty was held from 24 May to the end of June 2006. Over that period, almost 90,000 items were handed in to police in England and Wales. This constitutes a substantial quantity of potentially lethal items taken off the streets. However, the amnesty was just one facet of our knife crime strategy, which focuses on tough enforcement through targeted operations such as Operation Shield run by the British Transport Police, education programmes, including the Be Safe programme which teaches young people of the dangers and consequences of carrying knives, and support for wider prevention work. We also support community-based initiatives and projects through the Connected Fund, which was established in May 2004 and has supported 300 groups so far. A further round of funding totalling 500,000 was announced on 1 March 2006. The latest round of funding was launched on 1 March and full details can be found at:
	www.connected.gov.uk.
	Further work is currently ongoing, for example the development of a knife-enabled crime action plan in conjunction with ACPO, and enhancements to data collection to enable the identification of certain knife-related offences.

Offensive Weapons

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library copies of the agendas for meetings of his Round Table on Guns, Knives and Gangs.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 5 March 2007
	I will arrange for copies of the agendas for the Round Table meetings to be placed in the Library of the House.

Police Custody

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many new prisoners have spent their first night in police cells since Operation Safeguard was first implemented on 12 October 2006.

John Reid: Information on the number of 'new' prisoners held under Operation Safeguard is not held centrally. To obtain this information would require a review of individual case files. This could be done only at disproportionate costs.

Police: Age

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average age of police recruits was in each of the last five years.

Tony McNulty: The information on all those recruited in the last five years is not held centrally.
	
		
			   Average age (years) 
			 2006-07(1) 27.5 
			 2005-06 26.1 
			 2004-05 26.3 
			 2003-04 26.8 
			 2002-03 27.7 
			 (1) Covers the period 1 November 2006 to 31 January 2007 
		
	
	The table gives the average age of those who are successful at the assessment centre. Since July 2005 all candidates to joint the police service have gone through the assessment centre, but the averages for 2002-05 are based on the smaller numbers applying to the forces which first adopted the assessment centre. Since there are further checks to be undertaken (such as vetting, fitness and medical checks), not all the successful candidates are eventually appointed, and some may accept other job offers in the meantime. The table therefore gives only an approximation of the average age of recruits.

Police: Cumbria

David Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers there were in Cumbria Constabulary in each year since 1997; and what the projected figures are for 2007 and 2008.

Tony McNulty: The available data for 1997 to 2006 are given in the following table.
	With regard to future strength it is a matter for the chief constable, in consultation with the police authority, to determine the number of police officers and police support staff employed by the force.
	
		
			  Police officer strength (FTE)( 1)  in Cumbria, as at 31 March 1997 to 31 March 2006( 2) 
			   Strength 
			 31 March 1997 1,144 
			 31 March 1998 1,164 
			 31 March 1999 1,126 
			 31 March 2000 1,084 
			 31 March 2001 1,048 
			 31 March 2002 1,100 
			 31 March 2003 1,140 
			 31 March 2004 1,222 
			 31 March 2005 1,232 
			 31 March 2006 1,230 
			 30 September 2006 1,247 
			 (1) Full-time Equivalent. All officers less staff on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave (comparable with previously published figures). (2) This table contains full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding, there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of the constituent items..

Police: Dogs

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many dog handlers there were in each police force in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The available data are given in the following table.
	
		
			  Police officers whose primary function( 1)  is dogs by police force area, as at 31 March 2003 to 31 March 2006( 2)  (FTE)( 3) 
			   31 March 2003  31 March 2004( 4)  31 March 2005  31 March 2006 
			 Avon and Somerset 47 45 45 45 
			 Bedfordshire 19 18 17 18 
			 Cambridgeshire 19 18 18 19 
			 Cheshire 24 23 22 21 
			 Cleveland 18 19 19 17 
			 Cumbria 20 21 19 20 
			 Derbyshire 24 24 24 24 
			 Devon and Cornwall 48 47 48 49 
			 Dorset 22 20 21 22 
			 Durham 26 27 24 25 
			 Essex 46 45 48 48 
			 Gloucestershire 16 14 17 17 
			 Greater Manchester 116 118 90 96 
			 Hampshire 28 35 36 36 
			 Hertfordshire 27 26 26 29 
			 Humberside 28 28 27 27 
			 Kent 48  45 47 
			 Lancashire 41 35 36 30 
			 Leicestershire 4 25 24 22 
			 Lincolnshire 22 22 22 19 
			 London, City of 18 17 18 18 
			 Merseyside 31 32 35 45 
			 Metropolitan Police 205 237 241 251 
			 Norfolk 19 22 20 20 
			 Northamptonshire 14 13 13 13 
			 Northumbria 54 60 61 60 
			 North Yorkshire 23 23 21 21 
			 Nottinghamshire 30 32 33 33 
			 South Yorkshire 52 50 44 48 
			 Staffordshire 27 28 27 25 
			 Suffolk 14 14 13 13 
			 Surrey 34 36 33 34 
			 Sussex 49 48 51 47 
			 Thames Valley 43 40 39 40 
			 Warwickshire 15 15 16 16 
			 West Mercia 35 37 38 37 
			 West Midlands 69 69 67 69 
			 West Yorkshire 62 68 61 58 
			 Wiltshire 15 15 17 18 
			 Dyfed-Powys 19 19 20 19 
			 Gwent 16 15 15 16 
			 North Wales 12 12 15 11 
			 South Wales 43 40 43 39 
			 (1) Staff with multiple responsibilities (or designations) are recorded under their primary role or function. The deployment of police officers is an operational matter for individual chief constables. (2) Data not available prior to 2002-03. (3) Full-time equivalent. This figure includes those officers on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. (4) Excludes Kent. Data not available.

Police: Football

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost was to the Metropolitan Police of policing football matches in each of the last five years; and how much was received by charging football clubs in each year.

Tony McNulty: In accordance with the special police service arrangements under Section 25 of the Police Act 1996, the Metropolitan Police Authority can seek reimbursement of policing costs incurred through the deployment of officers on the private property of a football club. The Metropolitan Police Service has provided the following figures in respect of the cost of providing special police services at football matches for the last five football seasons. These costs have been recovered from the football clubs. Other policing in the vicinity of football grounds, or associated with football matches is undertaken as part of the ordinary duty of the police to keep law and order.
	
		
			  Football season  Special police services () 
			 2001-02 1,970,624 
			 2002-03 1,901,029 
			 2003-04 1,873,777 
			 2004-05 2,521,402 
			 2005-06 2,079,310 
			 Total 10,346,142 
			  Source: Metropolitan Police Service

Police: Lancashire

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers were employed in Lancashire in each of the last 10 years.

Tony McNulty: The available data are given in the table.
	
		
			  Police officer strength (FTE)( 1)  in Lancashire as at 31 March 1996 to 30 September 2006( 2) 
			   Number 
			 31 March 1996 3,171 
			 31 March 1997 3,248 
			 31 March 1998 3,257 
			 31 March 1999 3,245 
			 31 March 2000 3,179 
			 31 March 2001 3,255 
			 31 March 2002 3,304 
			 31 March 2003 3,339 
			 31 March 2004 3,550 
			 31 March 2005 3,551 
			 31 March 2006 3,583 
			 30 September 2006 3,542 
			 (1) Full-time equivalent. All officers less staff on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave (comparable with previously published figures). (2) This table contains full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding, there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of the constituent items.

Police: North Wales

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department to what extent public roads in North Wales are used by  (a) North Wales Police and  (b) other police forces for the training of police drivers at speeds in excess of the national speed limit.

Tony McNulty: This is an operational matter for North Wales Police and no relevant information is held centrally.

Police: Pay

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much overtime was paid to  (a) police officers,  (b) police community support officers and  (c) civilian police staff in the last year for which figures are available.

Tony McNulty: Data on police overtime are produced by the Institute of Public Finance.
	Police officer overtime for 2005-06 was 415,624,000. The total cost of police staff overtime for the same period was 60,183,000. The figure for PCSO overtime is included in the figure for police staff.
	 Source:
	CIPFA Police Statistics: Actuals 2005-06

Prison Service

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Prison Service takes to enable remand prisoners to vote by post or proxy in  (a) local elections and  (b) general elections.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Prison Service Order 4650, a copy of which I have placed in the Library today, sets out the mandatory actions that Governors must take to enable remand prisoners to vote. This includes displaying signs in reception areas and issuing guidance to individual prisoners on how to exercise their right to vote.

Prison Service: Cost-Effectiveness

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the Carter report into waste and inefficiency within HM Prison Service to be  (a) completed and  (b) published; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Lord Carter of Coles is providing an independent look at the effective use of available resources and the level of ambition on value for money savings within HMPS and NOMS prison costs over the 2008-11 time frame.
	The final outcome of this work and the timing thereof have not yet been determined.

Prison Service: Manpower

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what measures his Department is taking to increase  (a) the number of prison officers in the prison service and  (b) the retention rate of these prison officers;
	(2)  if he will publish his projections of numbers of prison officers in each of HM Prison Service prison up until 2012.

John Reid: Current staffing projections in the public sector Prison Service cover the period up to April 2009. These are contained in the following table.
	A central strategy is being developed as part of a programme of work to increase capacity. This will include recruitment of additional officers. The resourcing strategy will also include complementary measures such as appropriate use of detached duty and contracted supplementary hours.
	The retention rate for prison officers nationally compares favourably with other organisations. In areas where recruitment and retention are more difficult, higher starting salaries and local pay allowances may operate.
	
		
			  Projected Full-time equivalent prison officers senior officers and principal officers( 1) 
			   As of 1 April each year 
			  Establishment  2007  2008  2009 
			 Acklington 220 220 220 
			 Albany 148 149 150 
			 Ashwell 101 105 109 
			 Askham Grange 29 29 30 
			 Aylesbury 187 187 187 
			 Bedford 141 146 151 
			 Belmarsh 511 530 671 
			 Birmingham 524 525 527 
			 Blakenhurst 256 258 258 
			 Blantyre House 31 38 40 
			 Blundeston 146 146 146 
			 Brinsford 227 243 247 
			 Bristol 232 238 244 
			 Brixton 223 235 244 
			 Brockhill 77 80 82 
			 Buckley Hall 106 106 106 
			 Bullingdon 241 299 302 
			 Bullwood Hall 74 78 82 
			 Camp Hill 162 164 166 
			 Canterbury 100 100 102 
			 Cardiff 244 246 248 
			 Castington 217 219 221 
			 Channings Wood 161 172 172 
			 Chelmsford 213 226 239 
			 Coldingley 91 117 121 
			 Cookham Wood/East Sutton Park 108 109 110 
			 Dartmoor 156 157 158 
			 Deerbolt 183 184 185 
			 Dorchester 105 106 107 
			 Dover 126 128 130 
			 Downview 125 128 131 
			 Drake Hall 83 84 85 
			 Durham 318 323 327 
			 Eastwood Park 148 150 151 
			 Edmunds Hill 125 126 127 
			 Elmley 205 205 205 
			 Erlestoke 114 117 120 
			 Everthorpe 172 172 172 
			 Exeter 181 181 180 
			 Featherstone 139 159 161 
			 Feltham 420 428 435 
			 Ford 63 64 65 
			 Foston Hall 133 141 159 
			 Frankland 561 578 593 
			 Full Sutton 465 470 473 
			 Garth 291 291 291 
			 Gartree 207 210 214 
			 Glen Parva 260 262 263 
			 Gloucester 122 124 125 
			 Grendon 145 150 154 
			 Guys Marsh 136 138 140 
			 Haslar 53 54 54 
			 Haverigg 128 143 147 
			 Hewell Grange 29 29 29 
			 High Down 274 322 321 
			 Highpoint 186 188 190 
			 Hindley 214 229 233 
			 Hollesley Bay 52 52 52 
			 Holloway 262 267 272 
			 Holme House 305 305 305 
			 Hull 338 336 336 
			 Huntercombe 162 164 166 
			 Kennet ? 70 70 
			 Kingston 74 74 74 
			 Kirkham 97 98 99 
			 Kirklevington Grange 45 45 45 
			 Lancaster 87 89 90 
			 Lancaster Farms 245 245 245 
			 Latchmere House 36 36 36 
			 Leeds 362 363 364 
			 Leicester 128 133 137 
			 Lewes 162 164 201 
			 Leyhill 66 68 70 
			 Lincoln 201 201 203 
			 Lindholme 238 238 238 
			 Littlehey 158 198 198 
			 Liverpool 419 423 426 
			 Long Lartin 370 370 406 
			 Low Newton 153 153 153 
			 Maidstone 149 153 157 
			 Manchester 497 508 519 
			 Moorland 321 321 321 
			 Morton Hall 115 115 116 
			 New Hall 215 215 215 
			 North Sea Camp 55 56 57 
			 Northallerton 64 65 66 
			 Norwich 200 227 233 
			 Nottingham 215 220 274 
			 Onley 188 198 212 
			 Parkhurst 180 182 183 
			 Pentonville 386 386 386 
			 Portland 185 198 199 
			 Preston 249 250 250 
			 Ranby 262 249 251 
			 Reading 115 116 116 
			 Risley 287 290 294 
			 Rochester 140 190 191 
			 Send 76 95 98 
			 Shepton Mallet 62 62 62 
			 Shrewsbury 107 111 114 
			 Stafford 156 158 158 
			 Standford Hill 62 62 61 
			 Stocken 151 187 190 
			 Stoke Heath 232 253 257 
			 Styal 186 186 238 
			 Sudbury 67 67 67 
			 Swaleside 206 206 302 
			 Swansea 152 151 151 
			 Swinfen Hall 206 207 208 
			 The Mount 155 169 174 
			 The Veme 107 108 109 
			 Thorn Cross 119 121 124 
			 Usk/Prescoed 92 92 92 
			 Wakefield 411 425 439 
			 Wandsworth 390 394 400 
			 Warren Hill 148 149 149 
			 Wayland 150 210 209 
			 Wealstun 194 194 194 
			 Wellingborough 175 176 176 
			 Werrington 82 85 88 
			 Wetherby 173 229 231 
			 Whatton 198 211 212 
			 Whitemoor 468 471 474 
			 Winchester 190 193 216 
			 Woodhill 455 466 477 
			 Wormwood Scrubs 313 316 318 
			 Wymott 244 249 254 
			 Sheppey Reducing Reoffending(2) 119 132 145 
			 (1 )Projections are based on Operational Staffing Requirements as reported by each establishment on a quarterly basis and estimates of the staffing required for new capacity. The new capacity projections are not based on submitted and validated bids but on staffing guidelines. Some of the operational dates may change and some builds do not yet have planning permission. Although not actually within the timeframe of the table a further prison, HMP Ashworth, is due to become operational in 2009-10 with an estimated need for 120 officers. Where a shortfall is currently recorded, this is assumed to fall to negligible levels by April 2009. The projections relate to the number of posts expected to be filled, either through permanent staffing or the use of contracted supplementary hours. Projected staffing figures are not available for contracted establishments, with the exception of Rye Hill (148 prison custody officers in 2012) and Wolds (106 prison custody officers in 2012). The other contracted establishments employed a total of 1726 prison custody officers on 31 December 2006. (2 )Clustered services

Prison Service: Pay

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the  (a) starting salary and  (b) average salary is of prison officers in (i) public sector prisons and (ii) private sector prisons.

John Reid: The current starting salary of prison officers in the public sector is 17,744 per annum, with an average salary of 23,922. These figures exclude oncosts. In addition, locality payments ranging between 250 and 4,250 are paid at certain establishments.
	The average starting salaries and average salary for prison custody officers at each contracted company are in the following table.
	
		
			  Average starting salaries and average salary for prison custody officers at each contracted company 
			  Company  Averaged starting salary()  Average salary() 
			 GSL 17,403 18,856 
			 G4S 15,808 18,803 
			 KALYX 16,798 17,417 
			 SERCO 15,650 n/a

Prison Service: Training

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what average time was spent training a prison officer by the Prison Service in each of the last five years.

John Reid: Basic training for Prison Officers is eight weeks in duration. Further training is provided at individual establishments and is dependent upon the specialist skills required by the officer and the Service.

Prisoners

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what proportion of the prison population are from Eastern Europe; for what types of crime such inmates were convicted; and in how many such cases is it known that such inmates had committed crimes before entering the UK.

Gerry Sutcliffe: At the end of September 2006 there were 166 prisoners from the countries Armenia, Azerbijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Russia, and Ukraine being detained in prison establishments within England and Wales, and these countries are the current extent of the officially recognised area of Eastern Europe. This represented 0.2 per cent. of the prison population of 79,355.
	Information on the numbers of foreign nationals according to offence type can be found in table 8.29 in the Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2005, at the website:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs07/hosb1806 section8.xls
	Information about crimes committed by nationals from Eastern European countries before they entered the UK is not routinely collected by the police. Requests for such information are made at the discretion of the investigating police force depending on operational need.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system, and although shown to the last individual the figures may not be accurate to that level.

Prisoners

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what targets have been set for reclassification and transfer of prisoners in Category B and Category C prisons; and how many  (a) category A prisoners,  (b) Category B prisoners and  (c) Category C prisoners were reclassified as Category D prisoners in the last 12 months for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many prisoners were returned to a closed prison following a transfer to an open prison in the last 12 months.

John Reid: Targets are not set for the reclassification and transfer of prisoners. Prisoners are categorised individually according to the likelihood that they will seek to escape and the risk they would pose should they do so.
	Figures on the number of prisoners who are reclassified as category D, and of those returned to closed conditions are not held centrally. In order to answer the question, it would be necessary to examine the individual records of each prisoner and this could only be done at disproportionate cost.

Prisoners

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps are taken to consult victims about the reclassification and transfer of the prisoner who committed the offence against them.

John Reid: The provisions of the Criminal Justice and Courts Services Act 2000 imposed a statutory duty on the National Probation Service to take all reasonable steps to offer the victims of offenders convicted of a sexual or violent offence (and sentenced to a custodial sentence of 12 months or more) an option to receive information at key stages during the offender's sentence.
	In cases where the victim has consented to receive information from the probation service, it is expected that they will be notified at the points at which the offender is granted a move to a lower security establishment or is being considered for a move to open conditions.

Prisoners: Per Capita Costs

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average cost is per prisoner place in HM Prison Service; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The average annual cost per prisoner place for the Prison Service was 32,888 in 2005-06.
	This figure includes the element of headquarters overheads, but excludes the cost of capital on all Prison Service land and buildings, plus the cost of depreciation on buildings. These indirect costs are held by the National Offender Management Service (NOMS).

Prisons Accommodation

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prison places for women prisoners have been re-roled for men since October 2006.

John Reid: Since October 2006, no women's prison places have been changed for use by male prisoners.

Prisons: Ministers of Religion

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has issued guidelines on the employment of suspects held in prisons on terrorist charges as prison chaplains or imams; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 5 March 2007
	The employment of prisoners as Muslim chaplains or imams is not permissible. There is a rigorous selection clearance process for the employment of Muslim chaplains.

Proceeds of Crime Act 2002

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the  (a) one-off and  (b) recurring cost of implementing the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 to (i) businesses and (ii) the regulators.

Vernon Coaker: According to work completed by PricewaterhouseCoopers last year as part of the Home Office Simplification Plan, which was published on 11 December 2006, the estimated administrative burden on business of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 was 1.44 million. This excludes policy costs (i.e. those costs which arise as a direct result of the policy, for example updating an IT system) and also those costs a business would choose to incur anyway (e.g. maintaining records for their own business purposes). No estimate has been made of any additional costs to the Financial Services Authority, which is the main regulatory body affected.

Serious Organised Crime Agency

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Serious Organised Crime Agency officers have been trained in powers of arrest since 1 April 2006.

Vernon Coaker: No Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) officers have specifically trained in the power of arrest since 1 April 2006. All SOCA staff who have the power of arrest were designated with this power on the basis of the powers they brought with them from their precursor agencies and the continuing need to hold such powers whilst an officer of SOCA.

Serious Organised Crime Agency

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many investigations have been referred to the Serious Organised Crime Agency by HM Revenue and Customs officials since 1 April 2006.

John Reid: The Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) has received some 452 notifications from HM Revenue and Customs relating to drugs, firearms and counterfeit currency. There is an agreed framework between SOCA and HMRC regarding these notifications, some of which will be developed into investigations and subsequently subject to operational activity.

Sexual Offences

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many sex offenders were released from prison to no fixed abode in each of the last 10 years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: This information is not collected centrally.
	However, under Part 2 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003, those convicted, cautioned or subject to a finding for relevant sexual offences are, subject to any sentencing threshold being met, required to notify the police of certain personal data at specified intervals; this requirement is colloquially known as being on the sex offenders register.
	One of the pieces of information that an offender is required to furnish is the address of their sole or main residence in the United Kingdom. Where the offender has no such residence (i.e. is homeless), they are required to provide the details of a place or places where they can regularly be found.
	The wording in the 2003 Act amended the original requirement from the Sex Offenders Act 1997 which was that an offender without a permanent home should notify the details of a place that he regularly visited. Offenders cannot register no fixed abode as their address and have not been able to do so since September 1997, when the 1997 Act came into force.
	Additionally, sex offenders subject to notification requirements will be monitored by the police in the community, through the multi-agency public protection arrangements.

Surveillance: Evidence

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the use of intercept evidence in trials on the effectiveness of the security services.

Tony McNulty: The most recent assessment of the potential impact of intercept as evidence in trials was undertaken as part of a 2003-04 review which the former Home Secretary, my right hon. Friend the Member for Norwich, South (Mr. Clarke) reported to the House in his written ministerial statement on 26 January 2005,  Official Report, column 18WS. The review found that the use of intercept as evidence would be likely to help secure a modest increase in convictions of some serious criminals but not terrorists. The report made it clear that the use of intercept as evidence would entail substantial risks to the operational effectiveness of the intercepting agencies.
	My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary said in the debate on the Intelligence and Security Committee on 11 July 2006 that the Government were committed to finding if possible a legal model to allow evidential use of intercept material while providing the necessary safeguards for the capabilities, techniques and operational effectiveness of the intercepting agencies. Work on devising a legal model is continuing.

Traffic Officers

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many full-time equivalent police officers whose main responsibility is traffic there are in each police force area ; and how many there were at 31 March 2006.

Tony McNulty: The numbers of police officers whose primary function is traffic are collected on an annual basis only, and the latest available data are as at 31 March 2006. These data are given in the table.
	
		
			  Police officers whose primary function is traffic( 1) , by police force as at 31 March 2006( 2)  (FTE)( 3) 
			   31 March 2006 
			 Avon and Somerset 215 
			 Bedfordshire 81 
			 Cambridgeshire 99 
			 Cheshire 85 
			 Cleveland 61 
			 Cumbria 111 
			 Derbyshire 119 
			 Devon and Cornwall 215 
			 Dorset 81 
			 Durham 105 
			 Essex 243 
			 Gloucestershire 73 
			 Greater Manchester 342 
			 Hampshire 240 
			 Hertfordshire 149 
			 Humberside 181 
			 Kent 116 
			 Lancashire 197 
			 Leicestershire 77 
			 Lincolnshire 102 
			 London, City of 24 
			 Merseyside 138 
			 Metropolitan police 603 
			 Norfolk 112 
			 Northamptonshire 63 
			 Northumbria 167 
			 North Yorkshire 97 
			 Nottinghamshire 134 
			 South Yorkshire 141 
			 Staffordshire 28 
			 Suffolk 80 
			 Surrey 99 
			 Sussex 160 
			 Thames Valley 236 
			 Warwickshire 97 
			 West Mercia 116 
			 West Midlands 401 
			 West Yorkshire 343 
			 Wiltshire 13 
			 Dyfed-Powys 143 
			 Gwent 102 
			 North Wales 81 
			 South Wales 243 
			 (1) Staff with multiple responsibilities (or designations) are recorded under their primary role or function. The deployment of police officers is an operational matter for individual Chief Constables. (2) Data are not available prior to 2002-03. (3) Full-time equivalent rounded to the nearest whole number. This figure includes those on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Food Labelling

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues responsible for food labelling on the amount of imported food that is labelled, produced in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues responsible for food labelling on the amount of imported food that is labelled, produced in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: There is already legislation that requires origin labelling for a number of specific foodstuffs. In general labelling rules require that origin information must not mislead the consumer; however the Trades Description Act allows any product that has undergone substantial changes to be described as UK- produced.

Speciality Foods

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what support his Department gives for promoting the wider availability of speciality foods.

Ben Bradshaw: We offer support in many ways, including through Food From Britain, the regional development agencies, support for farmers markets and the organic sector, the public sector food procurement initiative, the EU protected food name scheme and by encouraging the retailers to source more speciality, regional and local food. My officials calculate that since the launch of our regional food strategy in December 2002 total Government support for speciality, regional and local food is in the region of 20 million.

Carbon Emissions

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance his Department has issued on the contribution that individual behaviour can make to the reduction of carbon emissions from homes.

David Miliband: DEFRA supports a range of climate change communications activities to encourage and enable individuals to understand the importance of their support and active participation. Our new guide to greener living is now available on the internet.

Dairy Farmers

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make a statement on the farm income of dairy farmers.

David Miliband: Provisional figures show the average net income per UK dairy farm in 2006-07 was 19,700.

Marine Environment

Richard Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to protect the marine environment.

Ben Bradshaw: We have taken an unprecedented number of steps to protect the marine environment, and later this month we plan to publish our Marine Bill White Paper with radical proposals to improve management and protection of our seas.

Climate Change

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for International Development on climate change impact mitigation for the least developed countries.

David Miliband: DEFRA continues to work closely with the Department for International Development at both ministerial and official level on a range of issues, including climate change adaptation for developing countries.

Greenhouse Gases

Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will revise upwards his target of a 60 per cent. reduction in greenhouse gases by 2050.

Ian Pearson: Our target, for a 60 per cent. reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2050, is the right target. It is consistent with the EU's long-term stabilisation goal and will spur changes domestically and internationally. However, we recognise that we will need to keep this goal under review in light of emerging scientific evidence and other developments.

Biofuel Crops

Meg Hillier: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what support his Department gives British farmers to diversify into biofuel crops.

Ian Pearson: Farmers can receive the single payment for transport biofuel crops grown on set-aside and non- set-aside land. The European Union's 45/ha Energy Aid payment can also be claimed where biofuel crops are grown on non set-aside land.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with the European Commission on the disallowance arising from Common Agricultural Policy schemes, notably the single farm payment; what assessment he has made of the European Commission's audit of England's 2005 single farm payment; what progress the European Commission has made with its audit of England's 2005 single farm payment; whether the European Commission has  (a) made an assessment of the financial correction and  (b) requested any money; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: During their regular meetings, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, and the European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development have discussed the administration of the Single Payment Scheme (SPS) in England on a number of occasions. However, the European Commission's audit of the 2005 SPS is ongoing and it is too early to draw any firm conclusions. No proposals have been made to date for financial corrections and, should the Commission make any in due course, the Government will continue to defend the UK's interests.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  when the estimate for disallowance arising from Common Agricultural Policy schemes, notably the single farm payment, totalled 305 million; what the reasons were for this increase from earlier estimates; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 20 February 2007,  Official Report, column 25WS, on the Spring Supplementary Estimates, if he will give a breakdown of the 305 million claim on the reserve to cover for provision for disallowance arising from Common Agricultural Policy schemes, notably the single farm payment, and the possible financial correction the European Commission may apply; what the reasons were for the disallowances; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: The European Commission audits Common Agricultural Policy schemes payments every year. We make provision for potential disallowances at the end of the financial year based on a prudent assessment at that time of issues raised in relation to progress in making payments and regulatory compliance; if necessary, cover is also obtained in the Spring Supplementary Estimate. These provisions do not, however, imply acceptance of this level of disallowance, should it be proposed by the Commission. Detailed discussions will take place with the Commission over a number of years before a final figure is reached. The Government will, of course, continue to defend the UK's interests in these discussions.

Bovine Tuberculosis

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was spent on bovine tuberculosis in each year since 1997, broken down by budget heading.

Ben Bradshaw: A breakdown of bovine TB expenditure in Great Britain, between the years 1997 and 2005-06, is set out in the following table:
	
		
			   millions 
			  Activity  1997( 1)  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 Cattle testing 5.49 7.3 17.6 13.3 5.4 24.7 33.2 36.4 36.7 
			 Compensation 1.44 3.5 5.3 6.6 9.2 31.9 34.4 35.0 41.9 
			 RBCT 1.66 2.9 4.6 6.6 6.0 6.6 7.3 7.2 6.2 
			 Surveillance activity by the VLA 0.43 0.9 2.4 3.5 3.7 4.1 5.3 4.9 7.5 
			 Other research 1.72 2.5 3.8 5.3 6.1 6.5 7.0 5.7 6.5 
			 HQ/overheads 4.1 6.7 4.5 0.9 0.1 0.7 1.0 1.3 1.8 
			 Totals 16.06 24.8 33.2 36.2 30.5 74.5 88.2 90.5 99.1 
			 (1) 1997 is calendar year only. 1998-99 figures onwards are financial years.

Carbon Dioxide: Air Pollution

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what the percentage change in UK emissions was of  (a) carbon dioxide and  (b) the Kyoto basket of six greenhouse gases between (i) 1990 and (ii) 1997 and the most recent year for which figures are available; and how this compares to other Kyoto Annex I countries;
	(2)  how much UK carbon dioxide emissions have changed in the UK in each year since 1990, and when the UK's share of international shipping aviation emissions are included in the figures.

Ian Pearson: Table 1 shows the percentage change in Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions between 1990 and 2004, and 1997 and 2004; this is for those countries which are Annex I Parties to the Kyoto Protocol, and which reported emissions to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 2006. Data for 2005 are not yet generally available for other countries. However, estimates recently published by my Department show that UK emissions of carbon dioxide and the Kyoto basket of six gases fell by 0.4 million tonnes and 3.1 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents respectively between 2004 and 2005.
	Under the EU ETS, UK companies are able to buy emissions allowances from other EU countries to be taken into account when determining whether the Kyoto target and 2010 domestic goal have been met. The number of allowances issued to UK installations covered by the scheme was 27 million less than their emissions in 2005. The Electricity Supply Industry emitted 36.5 million tonnes more than its allocation; other sectors emitted 9.5 million tonnes less. Adjusted for emissions trading, UK CO2 emissions in 2005 were about 527 million tonnesapproximately 11 per cent. lower than 1990 levels and 3.9 per cent. below the 1997 level.
	Table 2 shows UK CO2 emissions between 1990 and 2005 (the latest year for which data is available). Emissions from international shipping and international aviation are not included in totals used to judge progress against the UK's domestic and international targets.
	
		
			  Table 1: annex I greenhouse gas emissions 
			   Percentage change in:  
			  Party  C0 2  emissions 1990-2004  C0 2  emissions 1997-2004  GHG emissions 1990-2004  GHG emissions 1997-2004  Kyoto target (percentage) 
			 United Kingdom -6.4 1.1 -14.4 -7.1 -12.5 
			 Austria 21 .0 25.0 11 .5 16.2 -13 
			 Belarus(1) -52.5 -7.3 -46.2 -3.7 -8 
			 Belgium 6.9 4.0 1.7 0.1 -7.5 
			 Bulgaria(1) -47.7 -28.1 -48.6 -22.7 -8 
			 Canada 74.8 66.7 62.2 51.1 -6 
			 Croatia(1) -27.5 -321.9 -21.6 297.0 -5 
			 Czech Republic(1) -25.0 -8.0 -26.8 -8.0 -8 
			 Denmark -2.7 -17.6 -5.2 -15.9 -21 
			 Finland 43.3 10.7 26.6 6.4 0 
			 France -1 .4 -0.1 -6.1 -4.7 0 
			 Germany -15.2 -3.7 -18.3 -6.6 -21 
			 Greece 29.4 16.0 25.3 12.2 +25 
			 Hungary(1) -21.2 -3.8 -21.8 -2.1 -6 
			 Iceland -1.2 -7.1 -7.4 -5.7 +10 
			 Ireland 38.3 17.0 22.8 7.4 +13 
			 Italy 8.2 11.6 8.5 10.4 -6.5 
			 Japan 11 .4 3.6 5.2 -0.3 -6 
			 Latvia(1) 208.4 -20.5 -161.5 -31.9 -8 
			 Netherlands 13.3 5.6 2.3 -3.5 -6 
			 New Zealand 50.6 -28.1 17.9 -1.4 0 
			 Norway -12.4 -33.6 -18.8 -25.5 +1 
			 Portugal 34.5 26.0 28.8 19.1 +27 
			 Romania(1) -38.2 -5.7 -38.5 -4.1 -8 
			 Slovakia(1) -34.2 -11.6 -34.1 -11.0 -8 
			 Spain 57.6 37.8 50.5 30.8 +15 
			 Sweden 12.8 -10.1 6.4 -9.5 +4 
			 Ukraine(1) -58.5 -4.3 -57.2 -5.7 0 
			 (1) A party undergoing the process of transition to a market economy (an economies in transition (EIT) party). 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: UK CO 2  emissions between 1990 and 2005 
			   UK CO 2  emissions/million tonnes of CO 2  (MtCO 2 )  Percentage change since 1990  UKCO 2  emissions including UK international shipping and aviation bunkers/MtCO 2  Percentage change in CO 2  emissions since 1990, including international bunkers 
			 1990 592.1  637.3  
			 1991 598.9 1.1 643.2 0.9 
			 1992 581.9 -1.7 630.1 -1.1 
			 1993 567 -4.2 617.3 -3.1 
			 1994 559.2 -5.6 610.1 -4.3 
			 1995 549.6 -7.2 603.9 -5.2 
			 1996 571.3 -3.5 629.3 -1.3 
			 1997 548.4 -7.4 610.9 -4.1 
			 1998 550.1 -7.1 619.3 -2.8 
			 1999 540.8 -8.7 609.4 -4.4 
			 2000 548.8 -7.3 621.5 -2.5 
			 2001 559.6 -5.5 632.2 -0.8 
			 2002 543.2 -8.3 612.5 -3.9 
			 2003 555.1 -6.2 625.4 -1.9 
			 2004 554.6 -6.3 633.4 -0.6 
			 2005 554.2 -6.4 636.8 -0.1 
			 2005(1) 527.2 -11 .0 609.8 -4.3 
			 (1) Taking into account the impact of the EU ETS.

Carbon Dioxide: Pollution Control

Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance his Department is proposing to publish on the offsetting of carbon emissions.

Ian Pearson: The Government launched a consultation on establishing a code of best practice for carbon offsetting on 18 January and this runs until 13 April. We plan to support the code by providing guidance on offsetting to consumers, to help them make informed decisions about their actions.

Chewing Gum: Waste Disposal

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what efforts are being made to encourage local authorities to take action against chewing gum litter.

Ben Bradshaw: Last week, the DEFRA-funded chewing gum Action group invited local authorities to apply for paid for advertising funds to tackle this issue. This follows the 2006 campaigns which saw reductions in gum litter of up to 72 per cent.
	Guidance on how to run a local campaign on this issue was issued to interested local authorities in January 2006. This included elements on:
	(i) enforcement
	(ii) partnership working with businesses and schools
	(iii) working with local media; and
	(iv) monitoring gum deposition.
	The Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act provided local authorities with greater enforcement powers to tackle this issue. Fixed penalty notices of up to 80 can be issued for dropping litter, as an alternative to prosecution. Statutory guidance on these powers was issued to all local authorities in April 2006, and further guidance on fixed penalty notices and enforcement will be distributed soon.

Commercial Whaling

Janet Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to maintain a majority in the International Whaling Commission for ensuring that the moratorium on commercial whaling is upheld.

Ben Bradshaw: The Secretary of State and the Foreign Secretary have recently jointly written to a dozen EU and accession states encouraging them to join the International Whaling Commission. A new publication, endorsed by the Prime Minister and Sir David Attenborough, has been sent to 57 countries and UK embassies and Ministers across Government have been urged to lobby on this issue.

Departments: Appeals

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many independent bodies existed to hear appeals on decisions made by his Department and its executive agencies in  (a) 1997-98,  (b) 2001-02 and  (c) 2005-06; and how many there have been in 2006-07 to date.

Ian Pearson: Since the creation of DEFRA the numbers of such independent bodies in 2001-02, 2005-06 and in 2006-07 to date were two, three and three respectively.
	The Veterinary Products Committee considers appeals on decisions relating to the issue, variation or withdrawal of marketing authorisation for veterinary medicines. The Plant Variety and Seeds Tribunal considers appeals against decisions on plant variety and seeds issues. The Independent Agricultural Appeals Panel considers appeals against decisions by the Rural Payments Agency. This last one was set up from April 2002.
	In general four other mechanisms exist for appeals against decisions by the Department and its executive agencies, the Ombudsman through an MP, the courts through judicial review, and the Civil Service Appeals Board and employment tribunals in the case of employment matters.

Departments: Consultants

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which external consultants were used by  (a) his Department and  (b) each of its agencies in relation to private finance initiatives in 2005-06; and what the (i) nature and (ii) cost of the work was in each case.

Ian Pearson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 4 December 2006,  Official Report, columns 32-33W, to the hon. Member for Eastleigh (Chris Huhne).

Departments: Databases

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what databases are controlled by his Department and its agencies; and what percentage of the data in each database he estimates is inaccurate or out of date.

Ian Pearson: Defra controls hundreds of applications, many of which can be defined as a database. To provide an answer to this question would require an interrogation of each application, and to do so would incur a disproportionate cost to the Department.

Departments: EC Law

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many  (a) decisions,  (b) notifications,  (c) communications,  (d) directives,  (e) ECJ court rulings and  (f) other EU activities with legal impact his Department received in the last month.

Ian Pearson: Details of all EU legislation in force, as well as legislative proposals, are available on the European Commission's website.
	Between 1 and 24 February 2007 the following legislative measures of relevance to DEFRA were published in the  Official Journal of the European Union:
	7 Council Regulations
	89 Commission Regulations
	1 Council Directive
	3 Commission Directives
	3 Council Decisions
	29 Commission Decisions
	Between 1 and 24 February 2007 the Commission published two communications of relevance to DEFRA.
	The European Court of Justice has not issued any rulings of relevance to DEFRA in the past month.

Departments: Equal Opportunities

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether his Department has  (a) a gender strategy and  (b) a gender equality action plan in place.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 2 March 2007
	Defra has established policies to address unlawful discrimination, bullying and harassment within the Department together with an equal opportunities policy that covers actions to promote equality between men and women.
	The Department has developed a joint equality scheme to address equalities legislation. Defra's current scheme which addresses both disability and race legislation will incorporate the Department's plans for implementation of the new gender equality duty. Actions in relation to gender equality will be included within the joint equality scheme action plan.

Departments: Finance

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what change there was in  (a) value and  (b) percentage in the capital budgets of each of his Department's executive agencies following his Department's budget review in 2006, as referred to in the answer of 24 October 2006,  Official Report, columns 1723-24W, on Executive Agencies.

Ian Pearson: Information about changes in  (a) value and  (b) percentage in the capital budgets of each of DEFRA's executive agencies for 2006-07 following the budget review in 2006 is set out in the following table. As part of this review, RPA's capital budget was increased by 19.2 million to provide for additional investment in improving the Agency's payment systems and 3 million was transferred from the resource to the capital budget of the State Veterinary Service, to provide for the Agency's Business Reform programme. The capital budgets of DEFRA's other Executive Agencies remain unchanged as the result of the budget review in 2006.
	
		
			  DEFRA's Executive Agencies  Capital budget allocation (before the 2006 budget review) ( million)  Capital budget allocation (after the 2006 budget review) ( million)  Percentage change 
			 Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) 1.600 1.600 0 
			 Central Science Laboratory (CSL) 1.500 1.500 0 
			 Pesticides Safety Directorate (PSD) 0.200 0.200 0 
			 Rural Payments Agency (RPA) 4.700 23.900 +409 
			 State Veterinary Service (SVS 7.300 10.300 +41 
			 Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) 22.800 22.800 0 
			 Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) 0.300 0.300 0

Departments: Finance

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what correspondence his Department has received on the budget reallocation for each of its executive agencies referred to in the answer of 24 October 2006,  Official Report, columns 1723-24W, on executive agencies; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many items of correspondence his Department has received on the budget reallocation of its executive agencies as referred to in the Answer of 24 October 2006,  Official Report, columns 1723-24W, on executive agencies, broken down by agency.

Ian Pearson: We have received a number of items of correspondence about the impact on specific agencies. Some were seeking further information about the changes, others highlighting concerns about the impact on specific bodies and their work or on their customers. These included a freedom of information request about the impact on Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS).
	The number of items of correspondence for each of the nine executive agencies is as follows:
	
		
			  Executive Agency  Items of correspondence 
			 CEFAS 1 
			 Central Science Laboratory 0 
			 Government Decontamination Service 0 
			 Marine Fisheries Agency 0 
			 Pesticides Safety Directorate 0 
			 Rural Payments Agency 2 
			 State Veterinary Service 3 
			 Veterinary Laboratories Agency 0 
			 Veterinary Medicines Directorate 1 
			 General (across all nine agencies) 1

Departments: ICT

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to what projects the IT cash losses referred to on page 87 of his Department's Resource Accounts 2005-06 related.

Ian Pearson: These were IT staff costs that should have been written off in-year as they did not relate to identifiable projects being capitalised.

Departments: Public Expenditure

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to what  (a) purposes and  (b) projects the fruitless payments referred to on page 87 of his Department's Resource Accounts 2005-06 related.

Ian Pearson: These payments related to projects that were cancelled.
	The Exotic Disease Control project related to the monitoring of exotic disease in animals. This project became obsolete following the creation of the State Veterinary Service and the establishment of a long-term strategy for recording and monitoring endemic and exotic disease on another software application.
	The Catalyst project was a pilot project for the Electronic Data Record Management. Following a review by the project board it was agreed to end the project as the benefits did not warrant further investment.
	The Phoenix IT project related to the Global Wildlife Division, formerly part of the Department for the Environment Transport and the Regions (DETR). Following a review by the project board it was agreed to end the project as the benefits did not warrant further investment.

Departments: Theft

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what items valued at above 100 were reported as stolen from his Department's buildings or premises in the last 12 months.

Ian Pearson: The following table shows the number of reported thefts of items valued at above 100 from DEFRA buildings and premises for the period 1 February 2006 to 31 January 2007.
	
		
			  Item description  Total cost () 
			 18 Laptops 14,718 
			 2 Docking stations 276 
			 Hand held microphones 405 
			 Epsom data projector 2,000 
			 Victorian writing desk 500 
			 Epson Computer Projector 300

Environmental Campaigns

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of environmental campaigns funded by his Department; and if he will place in the Library copies of such assessments;
	(2)  what performance indicators his Department and its predecessors have used to assess the impact of publicly-funded environmental communications campaigns since 1997; if he will publish the performance of each such campaign as measured by such indicators; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: DEFRA was created in June 2001. Since then, DEFRA has funded various environmental campaigns through the core department, NDPBs and its key delivery partners.
	 DEFRAClimate Change Communications Initiative
	 Climate Challenge Fund
	DEFRA has not yet completed an assessment of the effectiveness of the Climate Challenge Fund projects which are part of the Climate Change Communications Initiative. We are funding 83 projects that commenced work in July 2006 and are due to run until February 2008. Plans are being made to assess the effectiveness of the projects and this will be made available in the summer of 2008. Each of the projects has been provided with a list of standardised statements to use when assessing their own project's effectiveness and they will have the opportunity to attend a workshop to assist them on the evaluation of changing attitudes to climate change.
	 Film and brochure
	The two-minute film Tomorrow's Climate, Today's Challenge, developed as part of the campaign and accompanied by the brochure Your Guide to Communicating Climate Change, has been downloaded approximately 40,000 times and distributed another 6,000 times. It has also been shown as a free 'filler' on 10 television channels and accrued 5.5 million-worth of airtime since December 2005.
	 Website
	The website www.climatechallenge.gov.uk created as the central collateral resource for the Climate Change Communications Initiative has received an average of 120,000 page views per month.
	 DEFRAEvery Action Counts
	The Every Action Counts campaign was launched in October 2006 and is a community engagement campaign that encourages voluntary sector organisations to make an active contribution to securing a more sustainable future. The initiative is designed to help local community groups, clubs and societies take action together to help protect the environment and improve quality of life.
	Every Action Counts is part of a three-year campaign and there will be ongoing evaluation on a yearly basis throughout this time. As the campaign is currently in its first year, some early evaluation results are available and are listed as follows:
	25 national third sector organisations are taking part in the initiative to develop their own sustainable development action plans.
	320 community workers have already been trained in sustainable development so that they can engage with local groups on environmental action.
	240 community groups/organisations have registered on the Every Action Counts website with the aim of taking part in environmental action on a local level.
	From 19 October 2006 to 7 February 2007, the website has had just over one million hits.
	Every Action Counts has a three-year independent evaluation study to look at the effectiveness of the initiative. The first report should be available in April 2007.
	 Environment Agency
	The Environment Agency runs two main environmental campaigns: World Environment day and Flood Awareness. World Environment day are assessed by monitoring the number of pledges made and the growth in pledges year on year. The Environment Agency also conducts an environmental benefits assessment based on the assumption that people will carry out their pledges.
	Market Research on Flood awareness has been carried out since 1997 to measure the general awareness of flood risk regarding the Agency's role in managing flooding and the behaviours of those at risk in either preparing for or following flooding.
	The Minister for Climate Change and the Environment meets with the Environment Agency regularly to review its overall performance.
	 Energy Saving Trust
	Since 2004-05, EST has quantified the carbon impact of its consumer campaigns to promote energy saving. These have resulted in carbon savings, for each financial year, of the order of 125,000 tonnes of carbon p.a. These complement other channels of communicating with consumers, including EST's advice network, hotline and website.
	The main metric of campaign effectiveness is policy cost-effectivenessGovernment expenditure per tonne of carbon saved (/tC). Overall, EST's activities targeting consumers are highly cost-effective, with a policy cost of around 5 per lifetime tonne of carbon saved. This is consistent with the analysis of the work of the Energy Saving Trust in the Climate Change Programme Review.
	 ENCAMS
	Each year ENCAMS run different campaigns, agreed with the local environment quality team in DEFRA based on priority issues that come through from the Local Environmental Quality Survey of England. In 2006-07 the following campaigns were implemented:
	Fast Food-Related LitterHave some Pride Campaign (June 2006);
	Nuisance Noise CampaignJuly 2006
	Fast Food-Related LitterAugust 2006Rats Campaign; and
	Fast Food-Related LitterDecember 2006Night Time Economy
	ENCAMS works closely with partnership authorities to measure the impact of its campaigns in their areas. With the help of ENCAMS, partner councils define specific hotspot sites, clean them, monitor build-up of the particular litter type and repeat this process over a measured period. Monitoring usually takes place two weeks before the campaign starts, two weeks during the campaign period and then a month following the end of the campaign. The detailed information collected enables ENCAMS to assess the success of its campaigns.
	ENCAMS also undertakes market research to assess the impact of messages and its likelihood of influencing behaviour, and the Local Environmental Quality Survey of England assesses the overall national picture; and uses a corporate 'scorecard' to assess the success of its campaigns.
	 The Carbon Trust
	The Carbon Trust reports to DEFRA on performance and activity to meet key company objectives each quarter. This reporting information includes identified and implemented carbon savings, number of registrations to the company website, and annual survey results of FTSE Board, FTSE non-Board, mid-sized companies and SMEs' receptiveness to the Carbon Trust.
	 Envirowise
	Envirowise offers business a range of free services, including: a telephone helpline and website; best practice guides and case studies; free on-site waste review visits; and workshops.
	Independent assessments of Envirowise's impact on UK business have been regularly undertaken since the programme's formation. These assessments measure the level of savings, both financial and in terms of various waste streams, that have been achieved from the programme's encouragement of waste minimisation and resource-efficient practices. Types of waste streams measured include water, effluent, raw materials and solid waste.
	The programme has, since its inception in 1994, helped business make over 1.3 billion in cumulative savings while at the same time reducing business waste to landfill by 8.5 million tonnes.
	 Waste and Resources Action Programme
	The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) conducts recycling communications campaigns at local and national level. Its national campaign is called Recycle Now.
	WRAP's Business Plan for 2004-06, which was developed in consultation with DEFRA, set targets for its national and local communications activities. These are given as follows, alongside the performance achieved for each.
	
		
			  Percentage 
			  Activity  Target 2004-06  Performance 2004-06 
			  National Recycle Now Campaign   
			 Increase the number of committed recyclers (that is, those who regard recycling as important, those who recycle even if it requires additional effort, and who recycle a lot or everything that they can) +10 +12 
			
			  Local Authority-Run Campaigns   
			  Increase the participation in recycling through the funding of local authority programmes:   
			 New recycling schemes 10 to 50 74 
			 Improved recycling schemes 10 to 50 From 45 to 65 
			 Pure communication activities 10 to 50 From 59 to 64 
		
	
	WRAP's local communications campaigns partially achieved their target. Not all of the funded local authorities achieved an increase in participation, but on average, the results were good.
	In its 2006-08 Business Plan, WRAP has set a target of increasing the number of committed recyclers by a further 10 per cent. WRAP is currently on track to meet this target. Overall performance against the target will be published in WRAP's 2007-08 Achievements Report, with WRAP's 2006-07 Achievements Report providing an update on progress towards the target.
	WRAP and DEFRA have together reviewed the value for money of the Recycle Now campaign. The campaign work undertaken to raise public awareness of recycling and bring about behavioural change will have impacts over the next few years in terms of messages being sustained by the public and creating better value for money in future recycling campaigns targeted at a more receptive public. The current levels of expenditure represent 0.51 between 2004-06 per household for the national Recycle Now campaign which is within the range of costs reported by other EU member states for similar campaigns.
	The Recycle Now campaign marketing materials achieve high public recognition and have been taken up by the majority of English local authorities, as well as several major retailers on packs and in store.
	An independent survey carried out by marketing groups has shown that the Recycle Now television adverts generate very strong public recognition and, therefore, compare favourably to successful commercial advertisements with significantly larger budgets.

Environmental Stewardship Scheme

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the  (a) number,  (b) area and  (c) value is of new (i) entry-level and (ii) higher-level environmental stewardship schemes that have been offered since 1 January.

Ian Pearson: The following table confirms the position as at 28 February 2007:
	
		
			   Entry-level stewardship (ELS)  Higher-level stewardship (HLS) 
			 Number of agreements 1,106 98 
			 Area under agreement (ha) 205,234 14,976 
			 Expected total value of agreements () 29,714,460 13,639,102 
		
	
	The financial figures represent the agreement value over the five-year life span for ELS and the 10 year life span for HLS.

Tenants Farmers

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many tenant farmers will be affected by the closure of the adjudication scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: We believe, that few, if any, tenant farmers will be directly affected by the decision to withdraw funding for the adjudication scheme to support the Code of Good Practice on tenant farmer diversification.
	However, this decision was not taken lightly. It was always expected that the Code of Good Practice would be the primary tool for the majority of landlords and tenants to assist them in reaching agreement on proposals for diversification. Parties would only have referred to the adjudication scheme where agreement was not possible. The scheme would have provided an independent view of the merits or otherwise of the diversification proposal, but would not have imposed any obligation on either landlords or tenants to comply with the decision. Whilst funding for the scheme has now been withdrawn, the Code continues to be available to provide useful and informative advice to farm tenants and their landlords on how to deal with proposals for diversification.

Tenants Farmers

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether tenant farmers who took up the adjudication scheme in 2006 will be able to continue to receive money from it; whether those who were engaged in diversification negotiations with landlords before the scheme closed will be able to claim; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: There were no applications for the adjudication scheme to support the Code of Good Practice on tenant farmer diversification in 2006, either from tenant farmers or landlords.

Tenants Farmers

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department expects to save by closing the adjudication scheme; how those savings will be used; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: The budget for the adjudication scheme to support the Code of Good Practice on tenant farmer diversification was 240,000 over a period of four years. As there were no applications for the adjudication scheme in the first year, and given the pressures on DEFRA's budget, the decision was taken to end the scheme. This decision was not taken lightly. The withdrawal of funding for the scheme will contribute generally to savings across the Department.

Floods: Property

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many properties his Department purchased in high-risk flood plains in each of the last three years for which records are available.

Ian Pearson: The Department has not purchased any properties in high-risk flood plains in the last three years for which records are available.

Internet

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether his Department has amended its communications  (a) strategy and  (b) budget in response to the recommendations of the Transformational Government strategy, with particular reference to environmental communications websites.

Ian Pearson: DEFRA fully supports Transformational Government. The Department's web communications strategy reflects the need to provide more customer-focused information and services via Directgov and Business Link, the Government's primary websites for citizen and business engagement. DEFRA has established an environment and greener living section on Directgov. This provides practical advice and guidance for citizens at home and at work to help tackle climate change and other environmental issues. It includes sections on shopping, travel, food and drink, waste and recycling, energy and water saving, gardening, and ideas on how to be greener in the workplace, school or community. DEFRA will continue to work closely with other Government Departments and delivery partners to offer a broader range of environmental information via this service.
	DEFRA is in the process of reviewing the budgets available for web communications for the next financial year to ensure the Department can deliver the Transformational Government agenda.

Pesticides: Orders and Regulations

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the  (a) one-off and  (b) recurring cost of implementing the Pesticides (Maximum Residue Levels in Crops, Food and Feeding Stuffs) (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2000 to (i) businesses and (ii) the regulators.

Ian Pearson: No such amending regulations were made in 2000.
	However, costs to both businesses and regulators were estimated when the latest consolidated regulations were drawn up. These came into force as the Pesticides (Maximum Residue Levels in Crops, Food and Feeding Stuffs) (England and Wales) Regulations 2005.
	Copies of the regulatory impact assessment prepared in respect of these regulations are available in the Library of each House of Parliament.
	These regulations on maximum residue levels provide standards for trade in crops and animal produce and also ensure a high standard of consumer protection in relation to pesticide residues in food.

Processed Animal Proteins (England) Regulations 2001

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the  (a) one-off and  (b) recurring cost of implementing the Processed Animal Proteins (England) Regulations 2001 to (i) businesses and (ii) the regulators.

Ben Bradshaw: A full regulatory impact assessment was published alongside the Processed Animal Proteins (England) Regulations 2001. Copies were made available in the Library of the House.
	The successful application of the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) feed controls has brought about a year-on-year reduction in the incidence of BSE. This, along with the Government's other BSE controls, has enabled the over-30-month scheme to be replaced, at an annual saving to the taxpayer of 300 million, and paved the way for the beef export ban to be lifted.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Departments: Equal Opportunities

Paul Burstow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps his Department  (a) has taken and  (b) will be taking to ensure that it is in compliance with the gender equality duty in the Equality Act 2006 by the April 2007 deadline.

John Prescott: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 9 January 2007,  Official Report, column 510W.

Official Engagements

Theresa May: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what his  (a) external and  (b) internal diary appointments were for each week of January 2007.

John Prescott: In addition to business in the House, I chaired a number of Cabinet Committee meetings and also participated in Cabinet and Cabinet Committee meetings chaired by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister. I also had a number of meetings with ministerial colleagues and officials. As has been the practice of successive administrations, information relating to internal meetings, including the proceedings of Cabinet and its committees, is generally not disclosed as to do so could harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion.
	On behalf of the Prime Minister, I travelled to Bulgaria and Romania and met the Presidents and Prime Ministers of both countries to congratulate them on their accession to the European Union, as well as holding a range of meetings with other senior ministers and politicians on issues of mutual concern.
	I attended a reception hosted by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister at Downing street to launch the Government's plans for the commemoration of the bicentenary of the abolition of the slave trade. Prior to this, I met the right hon. Member for Richmond, Yorks (Mr. Hague) and the right hon. Member for Gordon (Malcolm Bruce) to discuss arrangements for the bicentenary. I held a working lunch with chief executives and representatives of key local authorities to discuss the commemorations being planned around the country. I also chaired a meeting with the high commissioners and ambassadors of a number of Caribbean and African countries to discuss the international aspects of this anniversary year.
	Also in January, I gave a speech on the future of local government at the New Local Government Network conference and addressed the Opportunity Age Strategy Partnership Group on the challenges and opportunities of an ageing society.
	I hosted a reception for the Indonesian-UK Islamic Advisory Group, which was established by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister and President Yudhoyono of Indonesia to bring together Islamic representatives from both countries to advise on countering radicalism and promoting mutual understanding and tolerance between Islam and the West.
	I also chaired a meeting of key stakeholders to discuss the UK contribution to the Shanghai Expo and hosted a meeting for the chairs of the Regional Development Agencies.

10 Downing Street: Official Hospitality

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 
	(1)  what the estimated cost to the public purse was of the event held at 10 Downing street on 3 March involving 60 members of the public;
	(2)  if she will place in the Library a transcript of the event held at 10 Downing street on 3 March involving 60 members of the public.

Hilary Armstrong: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 26 January 2006,  Official Report, column 2127W, as this refers to the whole citizens forum process. A comprehensive report of the Citizens Summit event held at Downing street on 3 March will be published later in the month and a copy will be placed in the Library for the reference of Members.

10 Downing Street: Official Hospitality

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if she will invite 60 randomly selected members of the Labour Party into Downing street to discuss the issues raised in the Government's policy review.

Hilary Armstrong: Any event specifically involving Labour party members would be a matter for the Labour party.

Project George

Oliver Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the answer of 26 February 2007,  Official Report, column 1016W, on Project George, what estimate of costs has been budgeted for within the Cabinet Office estates budget; what the remit and purpose are of Project George; what the timetable is for the works; whether the works will require planning permission; whether  (a) the Chancellor of the Exchequer and  (b) HM Treasury have been consulted on the (i) planning and (ii) implementation of the project; and if she will place in the Library the architect's plans for the project.

Hilary Armstrong: holding answer 2 March 2007
	No significant refurbishment works have been undertaken at 70 Whitehall and the Downing street complex since the large-scale rebuilding works that took place between 1960 and 1963. Much of the infrastructure at 70 Whitehall now needs to be renewed and/or upgraded, including ventilation and cooling systems, electrical transformers, and IT and telecommunications cabling, and we are also seeking to improve access and reception arrangements and other essential maintenance works. A decision has been taken to pursue necessary improvements through ongoing annual maintenance works. Planning permission and/or listed building consent will be sought where required. Any costs involved in the maintenance and improvement of the Cabinet Office estate will be included in the Cabinet Office accounts.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Belfast Festival

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what funding his Department has made available to the Belfast Festival at Queen's in each year since 1997; and what steps he is taking to increase the funding made available by his Department to the Festival.

Maria Eagle: The following table shows the total funding made available from Government Departments and agencies (including National Lottery funding) in each year since 1997 to the Belfast Festival at Queen's.
	
		
			
			   Total 
			 1997-98 290,911 
			 1998-99 277,167 
			 1999-2000 371,707 
			 2000-01 294,000 
			 2001-02 479,915 
			 2002-03 316,084 
			 2003-04 325,000 
			 2004-05 364,350 
			 2005-06 275,355 
			 2006-07 234,500 
		
	
	On 16 February 2007, I announced a one-off, exceptional grant of 150,000 from the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure towards costs for the 2007 Festival.

Conservation Areas

Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what public consultation the Department of Environment has undertaken on the plans for the Malone conservation area.

David Cairns: All new policy and guidance affecting the Malone conservation area is subject to public consultation. This has included interim supplementary guidance published in August 2006 and specific policies for the area published as part of the draft Belfast metropolitan area plan. In addition, all planning applications within the area are subject to public consultation through press advertisements and neighbour notification.
	At this point in time, my Department has no other proposals for public consultation for the area.

Firearms: Crime

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many incidences of gun-related crime there were in each police district command unit area in Northern Ireland in each of the past three years.

Paul Goggins: The chief constable has provided the following table of offences recorded by the police in Northern Ireland over the last three years in which a firearm was involved. The term 'firearm' includes handguns, shotguns, rifles, imitation firearms, BB guns and air guns.
	
		
			   2004  2005  2006 
			 Antrim 31 23 23 
			 Ards 62 63 30 
			 Armagh 16 18 18 
			 Ballymena 20 16 10 
			 Ballymoney 3 2 3 
			 Banbridge 10 12 4 
			 East Belfast 52 70 26 
			 North Belfast 119 150 96 
			 South Belfast 81 51 36 
			 West Belfast 86 82 56 
			 Carrickfergus 32 15 18 
			 Castlereagh 48 25 25 
			 Coleraine 31 30 16 
			 Cookstown 7 5 10 
			 Craigavon 68 78 40 
			 Down 34 42 14 
			 Dungannon and South Tyrone 11 20 8 
			 Fermanagh 9 22 15 
			 Foyle 40 40 40 
			 Larne 19 15 6 
			 Limavady 16 15 19 
			 Lisburn 35 42 20 
			 Magherafelt 6 5 5 
			 Moyle 6 3 2 
			 Newry and Mourne 40 41 34 
			 Newtownabbey 67 64 40 
			 North Down 41 53 29 
			 Omagh 19 17 4 
			 Strabane 23 19 19 
			 Northern Ireland 1,032 1,038 666 
			  Note: The figures for 2006 are provisional and liable to revision.

Northern Ireland Policing Board: Tribunals

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was spent on fees paid to  (a) the Crown Solicitor and  (b) counsel for the Northern Ireland Policing Board in defending two applications to the Fair Employment Tribunal by Mr. Chris Ryder; and what estimate has been made of the additional costs likely to be incurred in referring this matter to the Court of Appeal.

Paul Goggins: I have been informed by the Northern Ireland Policing Board that to date the Crown Solicitor's Office have not billed the Policing Board for any work undertaken in respect of these cases.
	I have also been informed that the estimated cost of an appeal to the Court of Appeal is approximately 8,500. This includes Crown Solicitor's costs and that of counsel.

Police Service of Northern Ireland

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the occasions on which he has met the Police Service of Northern Ireland chief constable in each of the past three years.

Paul Goggins: Since his appointment on 6 May 2005, the Secretary of State has met the chief constable on 29 occasions as follows:
	
		
			   2005  2006  2007 
			 January  1 1 
			 February  2 1 
			 March  1  
			 April  1  
			 May 2 2  
			 June 1 2  
			 July 2 0  
			 August 1 1  
			 September 2 1  
			 October 1 1  
			 November 2 0  
			 December 2 2

Prisoners: Escapes

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many persons were  (a) arrested on suspicion of,  (b) charged with,  (c) prosecuted for and  (d) convicted of escaping from lawful custody in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: The PSNI have advised that information is not collated in the precise format requested. Information relating to parts  (a) and  (b) cannot be broken down and is therefore provided as an amalgamated figure in the following table.
	
		
			   Arrests/charges  Prosecutions  Convictions 
			 2002 26 24 15 
			 2003 18 17 10 
			 2004 12 11 3 
			 2005 26 20 9 
			 2006 49 5 2 
			 2007 9

Sexual Offences

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many sexual assaults were recorded in each police district command unit area in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years; and what training and support was provided to police officers in Northern Ireland in dealing with such cases.

Paul Goggins: 'Sexual assault' is not a specific offence and therefore data under this heading is not recorded by PSNI. The following table details statistics relating to the number of all Recorded Sexual Offences by District Command Unit during the last five years.
	
		
			  Sexual Offences( 1)  recorded by District Command Unit for 2002 to 2006 
			  District Command Unit  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006( 2) 
			 East Belfast 54 55 106 95 74 
			 North Belfast 69 112 151 94 106 
			 South Belfast 112 149 165 138 157 
			 West Belfast 58 45 75 48 59 
			 Castlereagh 34 38 32 45 36 
			 North Down 55 56 48 74 68 
			 Ards 59 98 55 73 52 
			 Carrickfergus 18 17 30 21 29 
			 Lisburn 94 119 125 113 124 
			 Newtownabbey 33 43 110 68 79 
			 Antrim 31 32 32 39 66 
			 Larne 32 33 34 21 28 
			 Down 42 62 48 60 48 
			 Armagh 16 30 29 43 40 
			 Banbridge 31 40 40 29 31 
			 Newry and Mourne 44 80 56 56 66 
			 Cookstown 27 30 20 22 22 
			 Dungannon and South Tyrone 34 33 39 31 41 
			 Fermanagh 33 42 43 34 57 
			 Omagh 47 47 41 52 58 
			 Foyle 169 165 154 159 195 
			 Limavady 33 34 31 38 38 
			 Magherafelt 17 22 28 32 43 
			 Strabane 32 37 41 36 41 
			 Ballymena 54 75 61 75 68 
			 Ballymoney 26 20 7 20 21 
			 Coleraine 52 103 74 86 79 
			 Moyle 11 12 15 19 16 
			 Craigavon 62 77 57 78 82 
			   
			 Total 1,379 1,706 1,747 1,699 1,824 
			 (1) Sexual offence statistics comprise the following offencesrape, attempted rape, unlawful carnal knowledge of a girl under 14 years, unlawful carnal knowledge of a girl over 14 years but under 17 years, indecent assaults (on female, female child, male and male child), indecency between males, indecent exposure, indecent conduct towards a child and other sexual offences.  (2) Please note that figures for 2006 are provisional and are liable to revision.   Source:  Central Statistics Unit, PSNI 
		
	
	PSNI provide a range of training and support to police officers dealing with such cases.
	In foundation programmes the following areas are covered in relation to sexual offences:
	How to identify the different offences of indecent assaults and rape.
	Initial actions to be taken in relation to securing evidence at the scene of an indecent assault /rape and from the victim.
	Procedure to be carried out during the initial investigation involving the use of the Child Abuse and Rape Enquiry (CARE) suite.
	The students also receive a presentation on rape trauma highlighting the trauma that victims of rape and sexual offences may suffer and how to identify it. Opportunities are also provided to learn about the work of key voluntary organisations such as Nexus and Samaritans.
	Crime training provides training for specialist officers in relation to interviewing and dealing with victims of sexual assault. Part of this training is provided jointly by police and social services.
	The PSNI will shortly be delivering a nationally accredited course in the investigation of sexual crime to its specialist officers from the CARE Units. This course will commence in April 2007.
	Work is also underway to establish the first Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Northern Ireland.

HEALTH

Accidents: Children

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the accident rates for children in each socio-economic group.

Ivan Lewis: The report of the Health Survey for England 2002, which was commissioned by the Department of Health (available online at ), included data on non-fatal accident rates for children by socio-economic group as identified by the National Statistics Socio-Economic Classification (NS-SEC). Boys whose household reference person (HRP) was in a managerial and professional occupation, or was a small employer or own account worker, had significantly lower major accident rates than those whose HRP was in a semi-routine or routine occupation. Girls whose HRP was in a managerial or professional occupation, or was a small employer or own account worker, had significantly lower major accident rates than those in other NS-SEC groups. There was no significant association between minor accident rates and the occupation of the household reference person(1). The Health Survey for England 2002 is available in the Library and at:
	www.archive2.official-documents.co.uk/document/deps/doh/survey02/hcyp/hcyp.htm
	Research funded by the Department and published in the British Medical Journal included analysis of accident death rates for children by NS-SEC category, for selected types of accident in England and Wales in 2001-03 (Edwards, P. et al, BMJ 2006 Vol 333 No. 7559 pp 119-121). Compared with children of parents in higher managerial and professional occupations, the death rate in children of parents classified as never having worked or as long term unemployed was 21 times higher for pedestrian accidental injury deaths, and 38 times higher for accidental deaths due to exposure to smoke, fire and flames. There were also inequalities in accidental deaths as car occupants and cyclists.
	 Source:
	(1)'Major accidents' are those about which a doctor was consulted or a hospital was visited; 'minor accidents' are all other accidents that caused pain or discomfort for over 24 hours.

Ambulance Services

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many Copeland-based frontline paramedic staff went on stress-related sick leave in the 2005-06 financial year.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not held centrally. However, I have asked the chief executive of the North West Ambulance Service National Health Service Trust to write to the hon. Member directly with this information.

Arthritis

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether she plans to issue guidelines on  (a) the monitoring of patient outcomes for patients referred to clinical assessment teams, particularly for patients with serious inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and  (b) the training of staff being recruited to clinical assessment teams to ensure that health professionals are able to identify inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Ivan Lewis: The development of multi-disciplinary clinical assessment teams (CATs) are central to the delivery of the musculoskeletal services framework. The framework and accompanying implementation guidance emphasises the need for staff training needs to be organised in line with the operational detail of CATs and for the collection of activity and audit data, including information on clinical and patient outcomes. Data collection and staff training needs are matters ultimately for local decision.

Breast Feeding

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what  (a) financial and  (b) other support her Department gave to National Breastfeeding Awareness Week in each year since its inception.

Ivan Lewis: Since 1993, the Department has supported the National Breastfeeding Awareness Weeks (NBAW), as a key activity in promoting breastfeeding. The information requested on funding up to 2002 is not available. The following table sets out the funding for the NBAW from 2003 to 2005.
	
		
			
			 2002-03 (NBAW 2003) 263,000 
			 2003-04 (NBAW 2004) 272,000 
			 2004-05 (NBAW 2005) 267,000 
		
	
	In these years, a range of educational and promotional materials were developed and made available to the health professionals, non-governmental organisations and voluntary organisations in support of local initiatives. In addition, the Department commissioned a public relations agency to generate media and promotional initiatives for the campaign. In the year 2005-06, no central funding was available and NBAW operated at local levels.
	This year, the campaign will be held from 13 to 19 May 2007. The Department is planning a comprehensive communications package, including marketing support that will be launched at the week and continue through the year. The Department plans to spend 573,000 from the 2006-07 budget on the TV and radio filler advertising, public relations activity, website and promotional materials and continue this activity throughout 2007-08.

Breast Feeding

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects her Department to publish the National Infant Feeding Survey 2005.

Ivan Lewis: The Department aims to publish the National Infant Feeding Survey 2005 in summer 2007.

British Fluoridation Society: Finance

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures of accountability she has imposed upon the British Fluoridation Society for the monies that her Department has granted to it.

Rosie Winterton: When the new regulations on the fluoridation of water were made in 2005, which delegated responsibility for decisions on consultations for new fluoridation schemes to strategic health authorities, we ceased to make grants to the British Fluoridation Society (BFS).
	The last grant was made to the BFS for the 2005-06 financial year.

Care Homes: Fees and Charges

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the number of pensioners who sold their homes to pay for their stay in a care home in each year since 1997.

Ivan Lewis: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Shrewsbury and Atcham (Daniel Kawczynski) on 15 January 2007,  Official Report, column 882W.

Carers: Pensions

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions she has had with the Department for Work and Pensions on the financial impact on carers over the age of 60 of the rule which precludes the payment of carer's allowance for individuals with caring obligations but in receipt of a pension; and if she will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 1 March 2007
	There have been no discussions with the Department for Work and Pensions on this particular matter, but on 21 March the Department launched plans for the revision of the 1999 Strategy for Carers which will be a pan-Government framework which takes account of the full needs of carers and brings together the responsibilities of the numerous agencies that impact on their lives.

Dental Services: Yorkshire and Humberside

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many  (a) adults and  (b) children eligible for NHS dental treatment in the area covered by the East Riding of Yorkshire Primary Care Trust have been asked to pay private rates due to their dentist using up their quota of Units of Dental Activity in 2006-07; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  how many NHS dentists in the area covered by the East Riding of Yorkshire Primary Care Trust had run out of quota of Units of Dental Activity in January; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Departments: Freedom of Information

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on how many occasions special advisers have been consulted in replying to freedom of information requests to her Department; and what her Department's policy is on the role of special advisers in the answering of Freedom of Information requests.

Ivan Lewis: The Department does not keep such records. Special advisers carry out their duties in accordance with the requirements of the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers.

Departments: Freedom of Information

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs on the application of Freedom of Information regulations to private companies performing public services.

Ivan Lewis: In the course of official business Ministers have regular discussions with other Ministerial colleagues on a wide range of issues.

Departments: Pendle

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what expenditure is planned to be carried out in Pendle by her Department in the years up to 2010; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The East Lancashire primary care trust (PCT) is responsible for commissioning health services to meet the needs of the population of Pendle. In the current financial year the East Lancashire PCT has received a resource allocation of 506.2 million. In 2007-08 it will receive an allocation of 553.3 million.
	Expenditure beyond financial year 2007-08 will be planned and allocated as part of the comprehensive spending review later this year.

Departments: Public bodies

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  which reports commissioned by her Department from professional health bodies in each of the last five years have not been published;
	(2)  which reports were commissioned from professional health bodies by her Department in each of the last five years; what the cost was of each report; and on what date each report was published.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 2 March 2007
	This information is not collected centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Dermatology

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment her Department has made of the impact of schemes to reduce the number of GP referrals into secondary care by primary care trusts on patients with skin disease.

Rosie Winterton: No such assessment has been made centrally as this is for local determination. The Department has published guidance for general practitioners with a special interest in dermatology. The guidance draws on good practice and experience nationally and is intended to be advisory, offering best practice for the development of local services. A copy of the guidance has been placed in the Library and is available at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/PublicationsPolicy AndGuidanceArticle/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4008233chk=t3ZLMW

Fatalities During Birth

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many fatalities occurred in  (a) 2004,  (b) 2005 and  (c) 2006 following (i) a home birth with the assistance of a midwife, (ii) in a midwife-led unit, (iii) in a consultant-led maternity unit and (iv) elsewhere;
	(2)  how many babies were born in  (a) 2004,  (b) 2005 and  (c) 2006 (i) at home with the assistance of a midwife, (ii) in a midwife-led unit, (iii) in a consultant-led maternity unit and (iv) elsewhere;
	(3)  how many successful litigation cases were brought against the NHS involving  (a) midwives assisting with home births,  (b) midwife-led maternity units,  (c) consultant-led maternity units and  (d) other delivery formats in (i) 2004, (ii) 2005 and (iii) 2006.

Ivan Lewis: This information is not available in the format required.

Fluoride: Babies

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research her Department is undertaking into the impact of fluoride intake upon infants.

Rosie Winterton: Research evidence shows, that apart from the benefits to oral health, the only effect of adding fluoride to drinking water to a level of one part per million is on the incidence of dental fluorosis. Since this effect occurs when the permanent dentition is developing in infancy, it has been suggested that babies fed on infant formula, which has been made up with fluoridated water, may be at risk. The most common manifestation of dental fluorosis is a white flecking of the teeth. However, the affected teeth still enjoy the same protection from decay that fluoridation offers. The evidence to date shows that only a very small minority of people are concerned by the cosmetic effects of dental fluorosis, but we are considering the commissioning of further research in this area.

General Practitioners: Bedfordshire

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioners in Bedfordshire have applied to the Bedfordshire Primary Care Trust and its predecessors to seek funding to undertake training to become GPs with a specialist interest in each year since 1997, broken down by primary care trust; how many were successful; and if she will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: The information requested is not held centrally.

Haemophilia

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many transplant operations have been carried out since 2000 in people with haemophilia who had been informed they were at risk for public health purposes in relation to vCJD; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The information is unavailable as it is not recorded on the national transplant database.

Health Services: Cumbria

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  whether any  (a) services and  (b) clinical procedures have been removed from the West Cumberland hospital, Whitehaven, to be undertaken at the Cumberland Infirmary, Carlisle, since the opening of the Cumberland Infirmary;
	(2)  if she will place in the Library a list of the clinical services provided by  (a) the West Cumberland hospital, Whitehaven, and  (b) the Cumberland Infirmary, Carlisle.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not held centrally. The information can be provided by North Cumbria Acute Hospitals National Health Service Trust.

Hearing Impaired: Health Services

Howard Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients each audiology department in the south-east coast strategic health authority area has the capacity to treat annually.

Ivan Lewis: The information requested is not held centrally. In order to improve access and reduce waiting times for audiology services, a national action plan was published on the 6 March.
	In addition to the development of the action plan, the Department has also announced the procurement of up to 300,000 audiology pathways to provide assessment, fitting and follow up.
	Both of these measures will assist in significantly reducing waiting times and will greatly benefit those who receive hearing aids.

Hearing Impaired: Waiting Lists

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many people are waiting for hearing tests in  (a) England,  (b) West Yorkshire,  (c) Hemsworth constituency and  (d) Mid Yorkshire hospitals NHS trust; what steps are being taken to decrease these waiting lists; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  how many patients have been waiting  (a) more than six months,  (b) more than 12 months and  (c) more than 24 months for a hearing aid to be issued after an initial hearing test and diagnosis in (i) England, (ii) West Yorkshire, (iii) Hemsworth constituency and (iv) Mid Yorkshire hospitals NHS trust; and what steps are being taken to decrease these waiting times.

Ivan Lewis: The table contains information about the number of people waiting for audiological assessments, including hearing tests. A breakdown of data is not available for specific kinds of audiological tests. It includes details of the number of people waiting for audiological assessments within all primary care trusts (PCTs) in West Yorkshire. Figures on Hemsworth constituency are not available but figures for Wakefield PCT are shown in the table. We do not collect data about how long patients are waiting for a hearing aid fitting or issue following diagnosis.
	We collect data in weekly time bands, so more than 26 weeks and more than 52 weeks are used. The available data are in the table as shown.
	
		
			  Commissioner based waiting information for audiological assessments (end of December 2006) 
			   Total waiting  Total waiting over 26 weeks  Total waiting over 52 weeks 
			 All England 170,033 84,374 49,979 
			 PCTs in West Yorkshire 8,631 6,625 4,722 
			 Wakefield PCT(this includes Hemsworth) 3,972 3,190 2,316 
			 Mid Yorkshire hospitals NHS trust 5,934 4,768 3,457 
			  Source: Department of Health, DM01 
		
	
	In order to improve access and reduce waiting times for audiology services, a national action plan is being developed for publication soon.
	In addition to the development of the action plan, the Department has also announced the procurement of up to 300,000 audiology pathways to provide assessment, fitting and follow up.
	Both of these measures will assist in significantly reducing waiting times and will greatly benefit those who receive hearing aids.

Heart Operations

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to reduce the number of late cancellations of heart operations on children; and if she will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: National health service data show that since the cancelled operations guarantee was introduced in April 2002, the number of last minute (on the day of admission) cancellations has fallen by 20 per cent. to 0.8 per cent. of elective operations, its lowest level for five years.
	The guarantee covers heart operations for children although separate data on them are not collected centrally. Cancellations are sometimes unavoidable, due to emergency admissions, for example, but can be reduced through good planning and waiting list management. Clinical priority has to be the main determinant of when patients are seen. It is recognised that any cancellation is likely to cause anxiety, but this can be reduced by good communication between hospitals and patients.
	The Department has taken a number of steps to reduce the number of late cancellations. The rate of cancelled operations is one of the key pieces of information given to patients to help them choose a hospital. Additional funding of 25 million a year has been provided to increase and improve access to paediatric intensive care, a significant part of which relates to scheduled heart operations for children.
	Other steps include increasing the number of critical care beds by 36 per cent. between January 2002 and January 2006, and increasing the use of day surgery and treatment centres which minimize the disruption of emergency admissions. The number of cancellations is also addressed by the Healthcare Commission in its annual health checks on providers.

Home Care Services: Elderly

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what relevant representations she has received from the Independent Age charity on home care policy for pensioners.

Ivan Lewis: The Department is only aware of one. This was a letter sent to my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, on 6 October 2006, regarding older carers. I replied on 30 October 2006.

Hospitals: Infectious Diseases

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the evidential basis is for her statement of 23 January 2007,  Official Report, column 1305, that local variation in the incidence of  Clostridium difficile is greater than local variation in the incidence of meticillin resistant  Staphylococcus auerus.

Ivan Lewis: The statement was made in the context of considering a target for  Clostridium difficile and how this differed from the meticillin resistant  Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) target. The MRSA national target was set when mandatory surveillance for this infection was well established. In contrast the position for  C difficile is different as mandatory surveillance was only introduced in 2004 and a reliable baseline from which to measure trends is not available yet. In addition, interpretation of  C. difficile data is not straightforward as some trusts report cases that occur in the community and other trusts as well as their own cases. After considering these factors and the variation in  C. difficile reports in 2006, when rates ranged from over five to less than one per 1,000 bed days we concluded that local targets were the best option as trusts and primary care trusts would be aware of local issues.

Hospitals: Infectious Diseases

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what method the  (a) Health Protection Agency and  (b) Office of National Statistics use to collect statistics on hospital acquired infections; why the incidence of hospital acquired infections varies between the statistics published by each agency; and if she will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 2 March 2007
	Statistics from the Health Protection agency (HPA) and Office for National Statistics (ONS) do not measure the same thing. HPA figures refer to incidence, that is the number of new cases, of infection. Figures from the ONS refer to deaths.
	The HPA does not measure the incidence of all healthcare associated infections but collects data on selected healthcare associated infections of significance. All acute NHS trusts in England are obliged to report to the HPA cases in four categories are listed as follows.
	 Staphylococcus aureus (including meticillin resistant  Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteraemias  Clostridium difficile (age 65 and over)
	Orthopaedic surgical site infections (SSI)
	Glycopeptide resistant enterococci
	The MRSA and SSI data are collected via web based systems but most of the other data are provided from routine laboratory reporting. This electronic reporting system also covers infections caused by other micro-organisms and hospital laboratories voluntarily supply these data.
	The ONS does not collect information or publish statistics on the incidence (number of new cases) of hospital acquired infection. The ONS produces annual reports on deaths involving MRSA, and on deaths involving  Clostridium difficile. The methods ONS uses in preparing these reports is explained fully in the reports themselves. ONS statistics are based on the cause of death information given by doctors and coroners on certificates used to register death and include all deaths that are registered in England and Wales. The cause of death statements from coroners and doctors are coded to the Tenth Revision of the International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10), following internationally agreed rules and guidelines. From these data, ONS tabulates the numbers of deaths for which MRSA and/or  Clostridium difficile infections were mentioned anywhere on the death certificate, and the numbers for which they were the underlying cause of death. It is not possible to say how many of these infections were acquired in hospital, because this information is not recorded on death certificates. ONS figures therefore represent the actual number of deaths in England and Wales each year with MRSA or  Clostridium difficile on the death certificate.
	Doctors and coroners should only include on the death certificate conditions which they believe contributed to the death, not all of the conditions present at or immediately before death. Increased concern about health care associated infections, recent outbreaks of a virulent strain of  Clostridium difficile and an article in CMO's update of July 2005 on certifying deaths involving MRSA may have led to increased reporting of these infections on death certificates. It is very difficult to obtain the evidence needed to measure how much of the apparent increase in deaths involving these infections is real and how much may be due to increased reporting
	 Notes:
	1. The third annual report on MRSA, and the second annual report on  C. difficile were published in February 2007.
	2. Report: Deaths involving MRSA, England and Wales, 2001-2005. 'Health Statistics Quarterly'33, 76-81.
	3 Report: Deaths involving  Clostridium difficile, England and Wales, 2001-2005. 'Health Statistics Quarterly'33, 71-75.

Incontinence

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent changes have been made to the provision of urinary and faecal  (a) appliances and  (b) services on the NHS; for what purpose in each case; what assessment she has made of the potential impact on users; and if she will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: We are not aware of any recent changes made to the provision of urinary and faecal appliances and services on the national health service. All health bodies are expected to follow the guidelines contained in Good Practice on Continence Services. These guidelines set out a model of good practice to help achieve more responsive, equitable and effective continence services.

Maternity Services

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the evidential basis is for the statement that 2,500 live births a year at the Calderdale and Huddersfield maternity units were insufficient births to keep consultant staff at each unit fully occupied and up-to-date as specialists as referred to in her Department's publication Making it Better: For Mother and Baby.

Ivan Lewis: The reconfiguration of maternity services in Calderdale and Huddersfield, to focus consultant-led services at Calderdale Royal Hospital, with a high quality midwife-led unit at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary, will enable viable local 24-hour consultant cover which provides sufficient practice for consultants to meet the standards set for education and training by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, and meets the European Working-Time Directive for junior doctors. The proposals were scrutinised by the Independent Reconfiguration Panel, which found them to be the most appropriate way to deliver safe, effective and accessible maternity services for the 21(st) century.

Maternity Services: Consultants

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the statement on page 3 of Making it better: For mother and baby regarding the number of consultants needed in a maternity unit to work within the safety margins, what estimate she has made of the number of live births in a unit required to make it sustainable.

Ivan Lewis: Local managers need to take account of a range of issues. These include how their services are organised within a maternity network, the provision of safe, responsive care for women with complex and straightforward pregnancies at all times, and arrangements for transfers across the network that take into account emergencies and geographical factors.

Mental Health Services

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on mental health in each primary care trust area in the last year for which figures are available; and how many mental health patients there were in each area.

Rosie Winterton: Information about the expenditure by each primary care trust (PCT) on commissioning secondary care mental health services in 2005-06 has been placed in the Library. The Department does not collect information about expenditure by PCTs on commissioning primary care mental health services.
	Nor does the Department collect information about diagnoses in primary care, so information about the number of people with specific mental health problems in each PCT is not available.

Mental Health Services: Private Sector

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding from the public purse for treatment in the private mental health sector for patients referred via the national health service was provided in each of the last five years.

Rosie Winterton: Information is not available in the requested format. Data are available for the reported cash investment in the independent sector by the national health service in mental health services for working age adults in 2002-03, but accurate date is not available prior to this. From 2003-04 onwards, data are available only for the combined voluntary and independent sector reported cash investment by the NHS in mental health services. Available data are shown in the table.
	
		
			  Non-statutory sector (independent and voluntary providers) reported cash investment in NHS mental health services for working age adults in England (000) 
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 Independent sector 303,728 n/a n/a n/a 
			 Voluntary sector 159,180 n/a n/a n/a 
			 Total non-statutory sector 462,908 618,786 695,269 803,679 
			  Source:  Mental Health Strategies February 2007

NHS: Allowances

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how the personal expenses allowance is calculated; what evidence is used in the calculation; and what the allowance is expected to cover.

Ivan Lewis: The personal expenses allowance is provided for care home residents to have money to spend, as they wish, on small items for example on stationery or personal toiletries. It takes into account the fact that people in care homes generally have fewer personal expenses than those living in their own home.
	This allowance, currently 19.60 per week, is increased each year in line with average earnings. The Department is currently undertaking the routine review of the residential charging regulations and guidance, including the expenses allowance, and changes will be introduced in April 2007.

NHS: Constitutions

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she plans to introduce a constitution for the NHS, as stated in the letter from the Minister of State for Delivery and Reform, published to her Department's website on 31 January 2007; whether the NHS constitution will be enshrined in statute law; what assessment she has made of the merits of an NHS constitution; and if she will make a statement.

Patricia Hewitt: I am actively considering the suggestion made to me by the Minister of State my hon. Friend the hon. Member for Leigh (Andy Burnham).

NHS: Finance

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many people are employed in running the NHS Bank; how many of those people are managers; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what the cost was of establishing the NHS Bank; what its running costs were in each year since 2003; and if she will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: The NHS Bank is a mutual organisation of the strategic health authorities. There were no costs associated with its establishment. The running costs budgets for each year that it has been in operation are shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Cost () 
			 2003-04 183,000 
			 2004-05 180,000 
			 2005-06 130,000 
			 2006-07 125,000 
		
	
	Two people are employed to run the NHS Bank. Both staff are finance professionals.

NHS: Statistics

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what sets of statistics relating to NHS services her Department stopped collecting in each of the last five years; and what the nature was of each set.

Andy Burnham: The Department is committed to ensuring the value of information collected fully justifies the cost of collection. Whilst ensuring that information required to manage the service, monitor performance and measure activity within the national health service is available. As priorities change, statistical collections are reviewed and may be dropped or revised, or new collections may be implemented.
	The Information Centre for health and social care is responsible for the regulation of all requests for information from the NHS by the Department, its associated arms length bodies, other public bodies and the private sector. The Information Centre's review of central returns (ROCR) process ensures that central collections of information are appropriate to their purpose, do not duplicate existing collections, and minimise the burden on the NHS in submitting the data. More information about the ROCR process is available at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/rocr
	Details of NHS collections discontinued from 2002 onwards are shown in the table.
	
		
			  NHS data collections discontinued from 2002 onwards 
			  Title  Reference  Year last collected  Frequency  Work area 
			 Summary of Clinical Psychology Services KT24 2002 Annual Mental health 
			 Acute Hospital Patient Centred and Clinical Information Systems Survey.  2003 Continuous Hospital services 
			 GMP Calculation of Superannuable Remuneration SUR1 2003 Annual Workforce 
			 GMS-Monthly Summary of Non-cash Limited Expenditure FIS(FHS)4A 2003 Monthly Finance 
			 GMS-quarterly Analysis of Cash Limited Expenditure FIS(FHS)4C/TS CAP(CL) 2003 Quarterly Finance 
			 GMS-quarterly Analysis of GP Fund holding and PFMA FIS(FHS)4D/TS CAP(CL) 2003 Quarterly Finance 
			 GMS-quarterly Summary of Non-Cash Limited Expenditure FIS(FHS)4B/TS CAP(NCL) 2003 Quarterly Finance 
			 Health visiting and other Professional Advice and Support in the community KC55 2003 Annual Community care 
			 NHS Day Care: Availability and Use of Facilities KH14 2003 Annual Older people 
			 Sight tests and Opticians Workload Survey  2003 Annual Primary care 
			 Summary of Occupational Therapy Services KT26 2003 Annual Hospital services 
			 Summary of Physiotherapy Services KT27 2003 Annual Hospital services 
			 Summary of Speech and Language Therapy Services KT29 2003 Annual Hospital services 
			 Cancer Waiting Times: Monitoring the Two Week Target QMCW 2004 Quarterly Cancer 
			 Collection of Controls Assurance Data  2004 Annual Governance 
			 Consultant Outpatient Clinic Activity and Accident and Emergency Services Activity (KH09) KH09 2004 Annual Hospital services 
			 Landlords expenses survey: notional rents and interest on loans  2004 Continuous Workforce 
			 Patient Care in the Community: Community Learning Disability Nursing KC58 2004 Annual Older people 
			 Patient Care in the Community: Community KC57 2004 Annual Older people 
			 Mental Health Nursing 
			 Patient Care in the Community: District Nursing KC56 2004 Annual Older people 
			 Patient Care in the Community: Specialist Care Nursing KC59 2004 Annual Older people 
			 Practices below a minimum standard CEN3A 2004 Annual Workforce 
			 Summary of Ward Attenders (KH05) KH05 2004 Annual Hospital services 
			 Assessment of Consultants Performance MCP500 2004 Biannual Finance 
			 Assessment of Contractors Performance MCP600 2004 Biannual Finance 
			 Contract Monitoring Following Tender MCP300 2004 Continuous Finance 
			 Contract Tender Reporting MCP200 AB 2004 Biannual Finance 
			 Decontamination Organisational Review Information System (DORIS)  2004 Annual Estates services 
			 Forms Notifying Capital Scheme Approval FB1-FB4 2004 Annual Finance 
			 Scheme Monitoring Following Approval MCP100 2004 Continuous Finance 
			 Department of Health Stakeholder Perceptions Audit (DH Stakeholder Survey)  2004 Annual The survey formed part of theDH Performance Partnership Agreement (PPA) with the Cabinet Office 
			 GP Accounts Survey  2004 Continuous Primary care 
			 Monitoring accidents, violence and harassment targets  2005 Annual Workforce 
			 Monthly Monitoring Collection  2005 Monthly Hospital services 
			 Newly Reported HIV Infected Persons (Cumulative) A(C)A1 2005 Annual Hospital services 
			 Newly Reported HIV Infected Persons (In Year) A(C)A2 2005 Annual Hospital services 
			 PCT - Analysis of PCT Provisions PCT02 2005 Monthly Finance 
			 PCT Analysis Care Group Analysis of Health Service Purchased PFR1D 2005 Annual Finance 
			 PCT Analysis Care Group Analysis of Health Service Purchased PFR1E 2005 Annual Finance 
			 PCT Analysis Care Group Analysis of Health Service Purchased PFR1F 2005 Annual Finance 
			 PCT Cash Limited Expenditure PFR1A 2005 Annual Finance 
			 PCT Cash Limited Expenditure PFR1B 2005 Annual Finance 
			 Progress On Implementing S21 Of The Disability Discrimination Act  2005 Annual Hospital services 
			 Salaried Doctors Employed under Salaried Doctors Scheme CEN4 2005 Biannual Workforce 
			 Summary of Chiropody Services KT23 2005 Annual Older people 
			 Quarterly Monitoring of Cancer Bookings QMCB 2005 Quarterly Hospital services 
			 Survey of Registration and Inspection of Local Authority and Health Authority Units  2005 Annual Social services 
			 Community Dental Health Services KC64 2006 Annual Primary care 
			 Dental Distance Standards  2006 Quarterly Primary care 
			 Emergency Dental Services -EDS1 EDS1 2006 Annual Primary care 
			 Financial and Workforce Information Return FWIR 2006 Annual Finance 
			 Sickness Absence Collection  2006 Annual Workforce 
			 Monitoring the 50m Central Budget for Specialist Palliative Care  2006 Annual Hospital services 
			 NHS Plan Monitoring of Planned Workforce Increases  2006 Continuous Workforce 
			 Nursing Campaign Return  2006 Annual Workforce 
			 Personal Medical Services  2006 Continuous Workforce 
			 NHS Trust Housekeeping services  2006 Quarterly Estates services 
			 Workforce Finance Return  2006 Annual and monthly Finance 
			 National Orthopaedic Position Statement  2006 Continuous Hospital services 
			 Monthly Choice at 6 months  2006 Continuous Hospital services 
			  Note:  Excludes one-off collections

NHS: Waiting Lists

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 27 February 2007,  Official Report, column 1296-7W, on NHS waiting lists, which waiting times for episodes of NHS care measured by her Department which are not subject to a target.

Andy Burnham: Information is reported quarterly by national health service trusts, for emergency admissions via accident and emergency departments. On the number of patients who are placed in a bed on a ward within two hours of a decision to admit, within four hours of a decision to admit and those who not placed on a bed in a ward within four hours of a decision to admit.

Patients

Roger Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what role dispensing appliance contractors play in supporting people with long-term conditions to self-care.

Ivan Lewis: The expertise and support provided by all health professionals is important in enabling and empowering patients to adopt self-care strategies. We recognise that many people with long-term conditions value the additional services that dispensing appliance contractors provide over and above dispensing. These include home delivery services, organising home visits by specialist nurses and customising their products to match individual needs.

Primary Care Trusts: Yorkshire and Humberside

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations she has received on the financial position of the primary care trust in North Yorkshire.

Ivan Lewis: Recent representations received on the financial position of the primary care trust in North Yorkshire include:
	A meeting on 29 January with the hon. member for City of York (Hugh Bayley).
	One oral question from the hon. Member for City of York on 9 January, including interventions from other hon. Members.
	Four written parliamentary questions since October 2006.
	A small number of letters from both hon. Members and members of the public.

Resource Allocation

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to her speech on 16 November 2006,  Official Report, column 152, on Health and Education, what methodology she used to calculate the stated figures that residents of the city of Cambridge would receive 205 per unweighted head less under a system of resource allocation based on the burden of disease, and that residents of Leicester would receive 305 more; what the revenue allocation would be for each primary care trust in England by this methodology; and whether calculations of morbidity are included in the methodology.

Andy Burnham: The figures are based on one way to calculate changes to the current national health service funding formula to reflect the burden of disease. This methodology includes premature mortality rates of cancer, coronary heart disease and stroke, and prevalence of diabetes.
	The allocation for each primary care trust in England using this methodology has been placed in the Library.

Revascularisation

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what criteria her Department is using to decide which of the national projected revascularisation rate scenario models will be used within the NHS to achieve an appropriate rate by 2015;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer of 23 January 2007,  Official Report, column 1756W, on revascularisation, what assessment she has made of the likelihood of each scenario; on what criteria she bases this judgement; and when she expects to take a final decision on which scenario is used for planning purposes.

Rosie Winterton: The rate of clinical change in this area is fast and techniques may well be transformed over the period to 2015, as they have over the last 10 years.
	A number of different scenarios were used when the Department conducted a cardiac stock-take to review capacity issues in different parts of London and the south-east. They were not developed to be prescriptive about the intervention rates that should or would occur.

Written Questions: Administrative Delays

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she will answer question 113817, on public sector pensions, tabled on 5 January 2007.

Ivan Lewis: A reply was given on 5 February 2007,  Official Report, column 725W.

TREASURY

Aggregates Levy (General) Regulations 2002

Tony Baldry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the  (a) one-off and  (b) recurring costs of implementing the Aggregates Levy (General) Regulations 2002 to (i) businesses and (ii) the regulators.

John Healey: A full regulatory impact assessment was published in respect of the aggregates levy in March 2000, alongside the Budget. This is available on the HM Revenue and Customs website.
	Aggregates levy receipts are returned to business, principally through a 0.1 percentage point reduction in employers' national insurance contributions, which was introduced simultaneously with the levy in April 2002.

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many alcohol-related deaths in hospitals in Lancashire there were in each of the last 10 years.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 8 March 2007:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many alcohol-related deaths in hospitals in Lancashire there were in each of the last 10 years. I am replying in her absence. (125172)
	We have interpreted your question as referring to all alcohol-related deaths to residents of Lancashire, whatever the place of death. The attached table provides the number of deaths with an alcohol-related underlying cause in Lancashire county, from 1996 to 2005 (the latest year available).
	So that comparison over time is for a consistent area, deaths in the current Blackpool and Blackburn with Darwen unitary authorities, which were part of the former County of Lancashire, have not been included for any year.
	
		
			  Table 1: number of deaths with an alcohol-related underlying cause of death( 1) , Lancashire county( 2) , 1996 to 2005( 3) 
			  Deaths (persons) 
			   Number 
			 1996 127 
			 1997 139 
			 1998 125 
			 1999 157 
			 2000 143 
			 2001 179 
			 2002 162 
			 2003 171 
			 2004 178 
			 2005 198 
			 (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) for the years 1996 to 2000, and Tenth Revision (ICD-10) for 2001 onwards. The specific causes of death categorised as alcohol-related, and their corresponding ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes, are shown in the boxes. The introduction of ICD-10 in 2001 means that the numbers of deaths from this cause before 2001 are not completely comparable with later years. (2) Based on the boundaries of Lancashire county as of 2007. Deaths in Blackpool and Blackburn with Darwen unitary authorities are not included for any year. (3) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year. 
		
	
	
		
			  Box 1. alcohol-related causes of deathInternational Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) 
			  Cause of death  ICD-9 code(s) 
			 Alcoholic psychoses 291 
			 Alcohol dependence syndrome 303 
			 Non-dependent abuse of alcohol 305 
			 Alcoholic cardiomyopathy 425.5 
			 Alcoholic fatty liver 571 
			 Acute alcoholic hepatitis 571.1 
			 Alcoholic cirrhosis of liver 571.2 
			 Alcoholic liver damage, unspecified 571.3 
			 Chronic hepatitis 571.4 
			 Cirrhosis of liver without mention of alcohol 571.5 
			 Other chronic non-alcoholic liver disease 571.8 
			 Unspecified chronic liver disease without mention of alcohol 571.9 
			 Accidental poisoning by alcohol E860 
		
	
	
		
			  Box 2: alcohol-related causes of deathInternational Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) 
			  Cause of death  ICD-10 code(s) 
			 Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol F10 
			 Degeneration of nervous system due to alcohol G31.2 
			 Alcoholic polyneuropathy G62.1 
			 Alcoholic cardiomyopathy I42.6 
			 Alcoholic gastritis K29.2 
			 Alcoholic liver disease K70 
			 Chronic hepatitis, not elsewhere classified K73 
			 Fibrosis and cirrhosis of liver (excl. Biliary cirrhosis) K74 (excl. K74.3-K74.5) 
			 Alcohol induced chronic pancreatitis K86.0 
			 Accidental poisoning by and exposure to alcohol X45 
			 Intentional self-poisoning by and exposure to alcohol X65 
			 Poisoning by and exposure to alcohol, undetermined intent Y15

Charitable Donations

Oliver Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate the Office for National Statistics has made of the proportion of the population who gave money to charity in  (a) 1996-97 and  (b) the most recent year for which figures are available.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 8 March 2007:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what estimate the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has made of the proportion of the population who gave money to charity in (a) 1996-97 and (b) the most recent year for which figures are available. (125730).
	Estimates of the proportion of households (rather than individuals) who gave money to charity can be produced from the Expenditure and Food Survey (EFS), which is a sample survey covering approximately 7,000 households in the UK. In 2005/06 the proportion of households making charitable donations was 28 per cent, which compared to 31 per cent in 1996/97. These estimates are likely to be affected by a degree of under-reporting due to imperfect recall of survey respondents.
	The ONS' Omnibus Survey also asked respondents about charitable giving; the questions were included in the survey specifically for the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), and the results appear in the NCVO publication 'The UK Voluntary Sector Almanac 2006'. This publication contains more detailed analysis of charitable giving by individuals, although figures are available for 2004/05 only.
	Figures from this publication suggest that the estimates from the EFS understate the true extent of charitable giving. The NCVO reports that charities' financial accounts show total donations received from individuals of around 4 billion in 2004/05, whereas the estimate of donations based on the EFS in that year, was 2.9 billion. The estimates of charitable giving produced by the NCVO from the Omnibus Survey data, are actually higher than would be implied by the charities' financial accounts. It reports that 57% of adults gave to charity in a typical month during 2004/05, and that total donations for the year amounted to 8.2 billion. The NCVO report discusses some of the reasons why their estimates are higher. They may include an element of 'purchase giving'the purchase of goods or services from charities, that is still regarded by the respondent as charitable giving. In addition, whereas the EFS collects information on charitable giving merely as one component of expenditure amongst many, the Omnibus Survey questions addressed charitable giving much more directly, and the social desirability of charitable giving may have lead respondents to over-report the size and number of gifts.

Company Finance

Brian Binley: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what the information obtained in the Annual Business Inquiry (Part 2) for 2006 Financial Questionnaire issued by the National Statistics is used for; and whether completing this form is compulsory.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 8 March 2007:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what the information obtained in the Annual Business Inquiry (Part 2) for 2006 Financial Questionnaire is used for; and whether completing this form is compulsory. (125599)
	The Annual Business InquiryFinancial Questionnaire (ABI/2) is designed to meet the government's need for the production of national accounts and is used to compile input/output tables, which form the framework essential for understanding and analysing the interdependence of industries in the United Kingdom. It is also the main source of figures to meet the requirements of the European Structural Business Statistics (SBS) Regulation.
	The statistics produced from the inquiry are used widely in managing the UK economy. Users of the statistics include: the Treasury; the Bank of England; the Department of Trade and Industry; the Scottish Executive; the Department for Enterprise, Trade and Investment in Northern Ireland (DETINI) and the Welsh Assembly.
	Statistics are also used by the United Nations, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), local government authorities, and many private researchers and academics.
	Completion of the questionnaire is compulsory in Great Britain under the Statistics of Trade Act 1947, while Northern Ireland has its own regulation.

Death Duties

John Hayes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what revenue his Department received from death duties in each year since May 1997; how many estates were taxed in each year; and what average amount of tax was charged to an estate in each year.

Dawn Primarolo: Annual inheritance tax revenues received in each year (irrespective of when the charge to tax arose) are given in Table 1.2 of HMRC statistics, available from the HMRC website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/tax_receipts/1_2_v2_dec05.pdf
	Annual figures for the number of estates which pay inheritance tax (on a year of death basis) are given in Table 1.4 of HMRC statistics, also available from the HMRC website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/tax_receipts/1_4_apr06.pdf
	Table 12.3 of HMRC statistics
	(http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/inheritance__tax/12.3.pdf)
	provides, on a consistent year of death basis, the numbers of taxpaying estates and IHT revenues from estates in the years up to 2003-04 (complete figures for later years are not yet available). The consequent annual figures for the average tax paid per taxpaying estate is given in the following table. Only 6 per cent. of estates pay IHT.
	
		
			   Average IHT per taxpaying estate (000) 
			 1997-98 102 
			 1998-99 105 
			 1999-2000 108 
			 2000-01 109 
			 2001-02 101 
			 2002-03 93 
			 2003-04 90

Departmental Overspend

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 23 February 2007,  Official Report, column 981W, how the Department of Health's resource budget has been reprofiled over the 2004 Spending Review period, as referred to in paragraph C.74 of his 2006 Budget Report; and what the Department of Health's near-cash budgetary limit was in 2005-06  (a) before and  (b) after this reprofiling.

Stephen Timms: Chapter 2 of the Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses compares the latest plans for departmental expenditure limited and annually managed expenditure with the plans set out in the previous year. Provisional spending estimates, including resource and near-cash estimates, are published in the Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses and the Public Expenditure Outturns White Paper. These are updated alongside the Budget and pre-Budget report.

Departmental Overspend

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 23 February 2007,  Official Report, column 980W, whether the Department of Health is required to make up from its near-cash allocations in 2006-07 its overspend of near-cash in 2005-06.

Stephen Timms: As set out in the Budget 2006, there has been a re-profiling of the Department of Health's budgets across the 2004 spending review years. All of the Resource DEL outlined in Budget 2002's five-year settlement for the NHS has been made available to the NHS.

Departmental Overspend

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 23 February 2007,  Official Report, column 980W, what his latest estimate is of the Department of Health's near-cash overspend in the financial year 2005-06.

Stephen Timms: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave him on 15 January 2007,  Official Report, column 841W, and on 23 February 2007,  Official Report, column 980W.

Departmental Overspend

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 23 February 2007,  Official Report, column 980W, on departmental spending, whether the Department of Health's near-cash expenditure limit for 2005-06 was increased from the 71,572 million given in Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses 2005; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: As set out in the Budget 2006, there was a re-profiling of the Department of Health's resource budget in the 2004 spending review years along with a number of routine and technical changes.

Departments: Aviation

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was spent by  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies on flights (i) to Wales, (ii) to Scotland, (iii) to Northern Ireland and (iv) within England in (A) 2005 and (B) 2006.

John Healey: In respect of overseas travel by Cabinet Ministers, since 1999 the Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing 500 or more during each financial year. Information for 2005-06 was published on 24 July 2006. Copies of the lists are available in the Library for the reference of Members. The accounting system for the Treasury and the Debt Management Office does not record travel by destination, so an analysis the information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost. For the total cost of travel within the UK in 2004-05 and 2005-06 (including rail and road travel) I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave him on 29 November 2006,  Official Report, column 719W. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the 'Ministerial Code' and 'Travel by Ministers', copies of which are available in the Library for the reference of Members. All official travel is undertaken in accordance with the requirements of the 'Civil Service Management Code', a copy of which is also available in the Library for the reference of Members

Development Aid

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of the Secretary of State for International Development of 30 January 2007,  Official Report, column 165W, on development aid, if he will break down the overseas development assistance attributable to his Department in each year by  (a) programme and  (b) agency.

Hilary Benn: I have been asked to reply.
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 22 February 2007,  Official Report, column 876W.

Digital Broadcasting

Peter Luff: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the likely income to his Department from the sale of spectrum resulting from the Digital Dividend; and in which financial year he has provided for this income in the national accounts.

John Healey: HM Treasury has made no estimate of the likely income from the sale of spectrum.

Economics of Climate Change Review

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many copies of each report published to date as part of the Stern review of the economics of climate change were  (a) printed and  (b) distributed;
	(2)  what the  (a) commissioning and development,  (b) publishing and printing,  (c) distribution and  (d) other media costs were for the Stern review of the economics of climate change;
	(3)  which companies were involved in the design, publishing, printing and distribution of each report for the Stern review of the economics of climate change.

John Healey: The review was published principally on the internet (www.sternreview.org.uk) with only 1,000 copies printed by Cambridge University press as part of the publishing contract. In addition 600 copies were printed on request from both Houses of Parliament.
	The total cost of producing and distributing these 1,600 copies of the Stern review report in electronic and hardcopy format was 65,000.

Electoral Register: EC and Commonwealth Nationals

Damian Green: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many citizens of other EU states were on the UK electoral register on 31 December 2006;
	(2)  how many Commonwealth (non-UK) citizens were on the UK electoral register on 31 December 2006.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 8 March 2007:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions asking how many citizens of other EU states were on the UK Electoral Register on 31 December 2006 (125653) and how many Commonwealth (non-UK) citizens were on the UK Electoral Register on 31 December 2006 (125654).
	Data separately identifying British, Irish, or Commonwealth citizens are not collected centrally; these citizens are grouped together on local authority electoral returns. Therefore it is not possible to say how many non-UK Commonwealth citizens are registered to vote.
	The number of registered electors, who qualify through EU citizenship, on 1 December 2006, was 696,171. This excludes British, Irish, Cypriot and Maltese citizens. Cypriot and Maltese citizens qualify as Commonwealth citizens. Annual electoral data are collected for registers in force on 1 December. This is the closest date for which data are available.

Excise Duties

Charles Walker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much the Treasury raised from tax and duties on  (a) alcohol and  (b) tobacco in each year since 1996; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: The duty receipts for alcohols and tobacco products can be found in the HM Revenue and Customs 'Tobacco Bulletin', 'Beer and Cider Bulletin', 'Made Wine Bulletin', 'Spirits Bulletin' and 'Wine of Fresh Grape Bulletin', which are available from the HM Revenue and Customs website addresses at:
	http://www.uktradeinfo.co.uk/index.cfm?task=bulltobac
	http://www.uktradeinfo.co.uk/index.cfm?task=bullbeer
	http://www.uktradeinfo.co.uk/index.cfm?task=bullmadewine
	http://www.uktradeinfo.co.uk/index.cfm?task=bullspirits
	http://www.uktradeinfo.co.uk/index.cfm?task=bullfreshgrape
	HM Revenue and Customs do not collect data on VAT from individual goods and services.

Inflation: Construction

Hugo Swire: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the  (a) highest and  (b) lowest estimates made by his Department have been of the likely level of construction inflation in London in each year from 2006 to 2012.

John Healey: HM Treasury does not produce forecasts of construction price inflation.

Lewis Atkinson

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  from which NHS trust Lewis Atkinson has been seconded to his Department's Health Team;
	(2)  on what specific policy areas Lewis Atkinson works in his Department's Health Team;
	(3)  on what date Lewis Atkinson started work in his Department on secondment from the NHS; and when his secondment is scheduled to finish.

John Healey: Secondees from a number of organisations in the public and private sectors are employed in the Treasury and several Treasury officials are seconded to other employers. Information relating to secondees working in the Treasury is available at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/about/about_secondee.cfm
	It would be inappropriate to disclose personal information concerning present and former members of staff.

Lone Parents: Employment

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of single parents in Lancashire who have children aged between 11 and 16 years are in employment.

John Healey: The information requested fails within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 8 March 2007:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about the percentage of single parents in employment with dependent children aged between 11 and 16 years. I am replying in her absence. (125289)
	The estimate of lone parents of working age who are in employment with dependent children aged between 11 and 15 years for Lancashire is 7,000 and the percentage in employment is 68.1 per cent. for the three months ending June 2006. These estimates are not seasonally adjusted. Sixteen year olds have been excluded from these estimates as not all 16 year olds are dependent on their parents so they are treated differently in the Labour Force Survey (LFS), which has been used to answer this question.
	Estimates are taken from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. This is particularly true for a geographical area as small as the county of Lancashire.

MRSA: Lancashire

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many people died after contracting MRSA in Lancashire in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many people died after contracting clostridium difficile in Lancashire in each of the last five years.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 8 March 2007:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions asking how many people died after contracting MRSA, and how many people died after contracting  Clostridium difficile, in Lancashire in each of the last five years. (125170  125171)
	Special analyses of deaths involving MRSA and  Clostridium difficile are undertaken annually by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) for England and Wales. These are published in Health Statistics Quarterly. The latest year for which such figures are available is 2005.
	It is not possible from ONS mortality statistics to state where a person contracted MRSA or  Clostridium difficile. Therefore, the tables below show the number of deaths where MRSA or  Clostridium difficile was mentioned on the death certificate or was the underlying cause of death, in residents of the county of Lancashire.
	
		
			  Table 1: number of death certificates where Meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus( 1)  was (a) mentioned and (b) recorded as the underlying cause of death( 2) , in residents of Lancashire( 3) , 2001-05( 4) 
			   (a) mentioned  (b) underlying cause of death 
			 2001 7 2 
			 2002 10 5 
			 2003 16 8 
			 2004 17 4 
			 2005 25 9 
			 (1) Identified using the methodology described in Griffiths C, Lamagni TL, Crowcroft NS, Duckworth G and Rooney C (2004). Trends in MRSA in England and Wales: analysis of morbidity and mortality data for 1993-2002. Health Statistics Quarterly 21, 15-22. (2) Excludes neonatal deaths. Since 1986 ONS has used the internationally recommended death certificate for neonatal deaths. This means that these deaths cannot be assigned an underlying cause of death*. (3) Excludes deaths to residents of Blackpool UA and Blackburn with Darwent UA. (4) Data are for deaths occurring in each calendar year. * Office for National Statistics (2005) Mortality Statistics: Childhood Infant and Perinatal, Series DH3 No.36, Office for National Statistics: London. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: number of death certificates where Clostridium difficile( 1)  was (a) mentioned and (b) recorded as the underlying cause of death( 2) , in residents of Lancashire( 3) , 1997-2004( 4) 
			   (a) mentioned  (b) underlying cause of death 
			 2001 15 9 
			 2002 16 8 
			 2003 26 14 
			 2004 28 18 
			 2005 50 26 
			 (1) Identified using the methodology described in Office for National Statistics (2005) Report: Deaths involving Clostridium difficile: England and Wales, 1999-2004. Health Statistics Quarterly 30, 56-60. (2) Excludes neonatal deaths. Since 1986 ONS has used the internationally recommended death certificate for neonatal deaths. This means that these deaths cannot be assigned an underlying cause of death*. (3) Excludes deaths to residents of Blackpool UA and Blackburn with Darwent UA. (4) Data are for deaths occurring in each calendar year. * Office for National Statistics (2005) Mortality Statistics: Childhood Infant and Perinatal, Series DH3 No.36, Office for National Statistics: London.

National Insurance Contributions

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many computer-generated letters were sent out by HM Revenue and Customs notifying a shortfall in National Insurance contributions for the 2004-05 tax year; and how many were sent in error;
	(2)  how many records were not credited with enough National Insurance contributions to count towards the basic state pension for the 2004-05 tax year.

Dawn Primarolo: During 2006-07, HM revenue and Customs sent 4.7 million letters to customers advising them of a potential shortfall in their national insurance contributions for the 2004-05 tax year. The majority of these letters were correct; it is not possible to state how many were sent in error because this information is not held.

National Insurance Contributions

Tony Baldry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the  (a) one-off and  (b) recurring costs of implementing National Insurance: Service Provision through Intermediaries (IR35) to (i) businesses and (ii) the regulators.

John Healey: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) do not hold sufficient data where they can accurately quantify the administration costs to businesses and HMRC of implementing National Insurance: Service Provision through the Intermediaries legislation.

Nitrous Oxide: Death

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many nitrous oxide related deaths there were in the United Kingdom in each of the last five years.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 8 March 2007:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many nitrous oxide related deaths there were in the United Kingdom in each of the last five years. (125167)
	The most recent year for which figures are available is 2005. The attached table shows the number of deaths from toxic effect of nitrogen oxide and poisoning by inhaled anaesthetics, where nitrous oxide was mentioned on the death certificate or in the coroners text.
	
		
			  Deaths from toxic effect of nitrogen oxide( 1)  or poisoning by inhaled anaesthetics( 2) , where nitrous oxide was mentioned, United Kingdom, 2001 to 2005( 3) 
			   Number 
			 2001 2 
			 2002 0 
			 2003 0 
			 2004 1 
			 2005 0 
			 (1) Selected using International Classification of Disease, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) code T59.0. (2) Selected using International Classification of Disease, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) code T41.0. (3) Figures are for deaths occurring in each calendar year for England and Wales and for deaths registered in each calendar year for Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Olympic Games: Greater London

Hugo Swire: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff in his Department in each  (a) pay band and  (b) team worked on the preparation of the original budget for the 2012 Olympics.

John Healey: A number of Treasury staff at different levels and in different teams contributed to work on the preparation of the original budget for the 2012 Olympics.

Olympic Games: Greater London

Hugo Swire: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  on what date his Department approved the Olympics budget as it appeared in the London 2012 Candidate File;
	(2)  what involvement he had in drawing up the original budget for the 2012 Olympics.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given by right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury to the hon. Member for Faversham and Mid-Kent (Hugh Robertson) on 28 November 2006,  Official Report, columns 599-600W.

Olympic Games: Greater London

Hugo Swire: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what advice he received from his officials before the submission of London 2012 Olympic bid on  (a) VAT liability,  (b) the establishment of a contingency fund,  (c) security and  (d) the regeneration budget.

John Healey: This Government, as with previous Administrations' do not release advice to Ministers as to do so would prejudice candid and frank discussion.

Olympic Games: Greater London

Hugo Swire: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what meetings  (a) he and  (b) his officials had on the cost to London of the games before the Olympics budget was submitted to the International Olympic Committee;
	(2)  what meetings  (a) he and  (b) his officials had on VAT on the Olympics before the Olympics budget was submitted to the International Olympic Committee;
	(3)  what meetings  (a) he and  (b) his officials had on the regeneration budget before the Olympics budget was submitted to the International Olympic Committee as part of the London 2012 bid;
	(4)  what meetings  (a) he and  (b) his officials had on contingency costs before the Olympics budget was submitted to the International Olympic Committee.

John Healey: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide range of organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.

Opinion Polls

David Gauke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which opinion polling firms his Department employed in each of the last three years; and how much was paid to each company.

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how much his Department spent in each year since 2001 on polling services provided by Opinion Leader Research; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  whether the decision to engage Opinion Leader Research to undertake polling for his Department was subject to a competitive tendering process; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what purpose his Department has commissioned Opinion Leader Research to undertake opinion polling work since 2001; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: holding answer 1 March 2007
	The Treasury has not commissioned any opinion polling in the past three years. I refer to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) on 4 December 2006,  Official Report, column 196W.

Planning Gain Supplement

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the expected revenue from the Planning Gain Supplement in each of the first five years of its introduction.

John Healey: The amount of revenue from a Planning Gain Supplement (PGS) will depend on final decisions on its rate and scope.

Population Studies

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library papers on social demographics produced by HM Revenue and Customs strategy group since 2005.

Dawn Primarolo: A paper produced by the HMRC Strategy Unit in March 2006, Social Demographics and its Implications for HM Revenue and Customs has been placed in the House Library.

Pre-Budget Report 2006

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the data in Table B21 of his 2006 pre-Budget report is expressed net of any sales on which a loss was made.

Stephen Timms: Table B21 reflects the actual proceeds raised from asset sales.

Prisoners

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what projections his Department made of the prison population in England and Wales prior to his decision to freeze the Home Department budget.

Stephen Timms: HM Treasury does not produce projections of the future prison population. This is the responsibility of the Research, Development and Statistics Directorate of the Home Office. Prison population projections are National Statistics and are available on the Home Office website.

Public Expenditure: Department of Culture Media and Sport

Hugo Swire: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what dates officials from his Department attended meetings of the Budget and Revenues Sub-Group at the Department of Culture, Media and Sport.

John Healey: HM Treasury was a member of the Budget and Revenues Sub-Group, convened by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, whose remit ran from February to July 2004.

Public Procurement

Helen Goodman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he has taken to encourage public authorities to award contracts to supported employers under the public procurement regulations 2006.

Anne McGuire: holding answer 30 January 2007
	I have been asked to reply.
	Remploy has been awarded approximately 8,000 public contracts since January 2006 worth approximately 37 million. Often these are national contracts covering England, Scotland and Wales.
	Information as to how many public contracts have been awarded to similar organisations in England is not available.
	We are keen to see Remploy and other such organisations make the most of public procurement opportunities and as a first step officials have already arranged a meeting with Remploy, the GMB union National Secretary and officials from the Office of Government Commerce to discuss how to take this forward.

Revenue and Customs: Publicity

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much HM Revenue and Customs spent on marketing and advertising to promote self-assessment online in  (a) 2002-03,  (b) 2003-04,  (c) 2004-05 and  (d) 2005-06; and what the budget is for 2006-07.

Dawn Primarolo: Our online service is highlighted in all our advertising. However, the media spend promoting self-assessment online is as follows:
	
		
			
			 2002-03 (1) 
			 2003-04 1,753,877 
			 2004-05 2,244,196 
			 2005-06 2,244,769 
			 2006-07 481,753 
			 (1) Detailed breakdown not available.

Revenue and Customs: Stroud

David Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has for the HM Revenue and Customs office in Stroud.

Dawn Primarolo: HMRC is undertaking a series of regional planning reviews of its accommodation to bring it into line with future operational requirements. Each review will include a consultation exercise. The review of the cluster of offices comprising Stroud, Cheltenham and Gloucester is planned to take place some time between summer 2007 and early 2008.
	No decisions will be taken on the future of any individual office until the review process is completed.

Sainsbury Review

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 9 January 2007,  Official Report, column 498W, on the Sainsbury Review, on what date Lord Sainsbury agreed to conduct the Sainsbury Review.

John Healey: The Sainsbury Review was announced on 10 November 2006. The terms of reference are available on the Treasury website:
	www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/independent_reviews/sainsbury_review/sainsbury_index.cfm

Small Businesses

Alan Duncan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the contribution of family-run businesses to the UK economy; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: There is no standard definition of 'family-run businesses'. A common definition used by the DTI in its Annual Small Business Survey is that a family business is one
	majority owned by members of the same family.
	Estimates based on responses to the 2005 survey and official turnover figures found that the annual turnover of small and medium family run businesses was 700 billion at the start of 2005. This was 55 per cent. of the turnover of all small and medium sized enterprises. No estimates are available for the contribution to the economy of large family businesses. The Government recognise this essential contribution by family businesses, and are committed to providing an economic environment that sustains and encourages such enterprise.

Tax (Electronic Submissions)

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what  (a) payments to Capgemini and  (b) total costs were spent by HM Revenue and Customs on electronic filing of pay-as-you-earn end of year submissions for the year ended 5 April 2005; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: 25 million was paid to Capgemini as part of the IT project to enable end of year PAYE filing from April 2005.
	This amount is included in the total costs of 93.7 million that HMRC incurred to enable employers to file employer annual returns for the year ended 5 April 2005 online.

Tax Allowances: Widowed People

David Anderson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much tax revenue was collected from persons to whom the widowed persons tax allowance was applicable in the latest period for which figures are available.

Dawn Primarolo: Widow's bereavement allowance was the only income tax allowance available for widows and was available for deaths occurring before 6 April 2000. It was available in the year of the husband's death and the following year.
	Around 150,000 widows were eligible for widow's bereavement allowance in 1999-2000 of which 100,000 benefited from a reduction in their income tax liability, the remainder paid no income tax. This represented a reduction of around 20 million of income tax, resulting in total income tax liability of 175 million for widows in receipt of widow's bereavement allowance.
	These estimates are based on the Survey of Personal Incomes for 1999-2000 which was the final year widow's bereavement allowance was available in full.

Tax Credits Act 1999

Tony Baldry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the  (a) one-off and  (b) recurring costs of implementing the Tax Credits Act 1999 and Accompanying Regulations (Working Families Tax Credit) to (i) businesses and (ii) the regulators.

Dawn Primarolo: The then Inland Revenue estimated these costs in the regulatory impact assessment published in December 1999. This can be accessed at:
	www.hmrc.gov.uk/ria/ria-formerir.htm.

Taxation: Domicile

John McDonnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the compatibility of HM Revenue and Customs' policy in relation to domicile and non-domicile tax status with the Race Relations Act 1976;
	(2)  what legal advice HM Revenue and Customs received on domicile and non-domicile tax status and race discrimination laws in each of the last four years;
	(3)  what plans he has to review domicile and non-domicile tax status;
	(4)  how many UK citizens have non-domicile tax status; and how many investigations HM Revenue and Customs undertook into the tax returns of those with non-domicile tax status in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available;
	(5)  how much tax he estimates was avoided by those declaring themselves non-domiciled in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Dawn Primarolo: We consider that policy in relation to domicile and non-domicile tax status is compatible with the Race Relations Act 1976. All Acts of Parliament are subject to compatibility tests under the provisions of the Human Rights Act 1998, which considers issues of discrimination in their widest context.
	HM Treasury is leading the on-going review of residence and domicile as these affect the tax liability of individuals.
	No information is available on the number of UK citizens with non-domicile tax status or on the number of investigations undertaken by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) into the tax returns of those with non-domicile tax status. Overall, approximately 110,000 individuals claimed non-domicile tax status through self assessment tax returns in the year 2004-05.
	No estimates of potential UK tax liability are available. In general, individuals do not have to inform HMRC of their foreign income or gains unless this is relevant to their UK tax liability.

Teenage Pregnancy: Greater London

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 27 February 2007,  Official Report, column 1314W, on teenage pregnancy; Greater London, when the chief statistician expects to have the final figures for 2005.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 8 March 2007:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking when Greater London teenage pregnancy figures for 2005 will be released. (125771)
	Final figures for 2005 will be available towards the end of 2007. At the moment, there is no set date for their release.

Teenage Pregnancy: Lancashire

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many teenage pregnancies there were in Lancashire in each of the last 10 years, broken down into  (a) under 16-year-olds and  (b) over 16-year-olds.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 8 March 2007:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many teenage pregnancies there were in Lancashire in each of the last 10 years, broken down into  (a) under 16-year-olds and  (b) over 16-year-olds. I am replying in her absence. (125236)
	Available figures are estimates of the number of pregnancies that resulted in a live birth, stillbirth or termination.
	Number of conceptions to women aged under 16 and over 16 in Lancashire for the years 1996-2005 (the most recent year for which figures are available), are shown in the attached table. Figures for 2005 are provisional.
	
		
			  Number of conceptions to women aged under 16 and over 16 in Lancashire, 1996-2005 
			   Conceptions to women aged under 16  Conceptions to women aged over 16 
			 1996 200 15,825 
			 1997 175 15,486 
			 1998 195 15,442 
			 1999 168 14,660 
			 2000 214 14,838 
			 2001 180 14,230 
			 2002 201 14,834 
			 2003 186 15,346 
			 2004 159 15,755 
			 2005(1) 181 15,814 
			 (1) 2005 conceptions are provisional.

Tobacco: Smuggling

Paul Goodman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he plans to publish HM Revenue and Customs' recommendations to his Department on anti-smuggling and counterfeiting measures in relation to tobacco; when his Department will respond to the recommendations; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: Any statement on anti-smuggling and counterfeiting measures will be made as part of the Budget process.

Treasury Board

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what the  (a) date,  (b) cost,  (c) location and  (d) programme was of the Treasury Board's two most recent away days;
	(2)  who is responsible for appointments to the Treasury Board; and how regularly the Board meets;
	(3)  if he will place in the Library copies of the minutes of the last four meetings of the Treasury Board;
	(4)  when Michael Ellam was appointed to the Treasury Board.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Gentlemen to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) on 18 October 2006,  Official Report, columns 1252-53W.
	The permanent secretary is responsible for appointments to the Treasury Board, which are made in accordance with Cabinet Office guidance. Michael Ellam became a full member of the Treasury Board in September 2005.
	The Treasury Board meets six times a year. Summaries of Treasury Board activities are available on the Treasury's public website at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/about/about_treasury_board.cfm.

VAT: Fuels

Mark Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue was raised from duty and VAT on private passenger automobile fuel in the most recent year for which information is available.

John Healey: The precise figures requested are not available. However, relevant data are available from following sources:
	Total petrol and diesel receipts and quantities consumed are published in the Hydrocarbon Oils bulletin. This can be found at:
	http://www.uktradeinfo.com/index.cfm?task=bullhydro
	The DTI publish data on fuel prices in their quarterly energy prices bulletin. This can be found at:
	http://www.dtistats.net/energystats/gep411.xls
	VAT on main road fuel is 17.5 per cent.
	The most recent financial year for which data are available is 2005-06.

VAT: Fuels

Mark Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue was raised from duty and VAT on fuel and electricity supplied to  (a) rail operators and  (b) commercial bus operators in the most recent year for which information is available.

John Healey: The precise figures requested are not available. However, relevant data is available from the following sources:
	The DTI publish information of end users of fuel, including rail, in the Digest of UK Energy Statistics (DUKES). This is available from http://www.dti.gov.uk/energy/statistics/publications/dukes/page29812.html Rail operators use gas oil.
	HMRC publish fuel duty rates and details of duty receipts in the Hydrocarbon Oils bulletin, available from http://www.uktradeinfo.com/index.cfm?task=bullhydro No duty is charged on electricity.
	Supplies of passenger transport made by rail operators are zero-rated for VAT purposes and they are able to reclaim any VAT on costs incurred in making these supplies, including fuel.
	The supply of domestic rail freight in the UK is normally standard-rated, however where the supply relates to the transport of goods to/from a place of export/import from/into the EU, this supply can be zero-rated. Suppliers would be entitled to recover any VAT incurred in making these supplies whether they were standard or zero-rated.
	Supplies of passenger transport made by commercial bus companies are also zero-rated for VAT purposes and they are similarly able to reclaim any VAT on costs incurred in making these supplies, including fuel.

Welfare Tax Credits: Overpayments

Natascha Engel: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on how many occasions HM Revenue and Customs has used its discretion not to recover tax credit overpayments from claimants.

Dawn Primarolo: HM Revenue and Customs policy on tax credit overpayments is set out in their code of practice 26 What happens if we have paid you too much tax credit? HMRC will write off an overpayment of tax credits if they have made a mistake and it can be shown that it was reasonable for the claimant to believe that their payments were right.
	Over the period April 2006 to the end of January 2007, there have been around 303,000 disputed overpayments. Over the same period, HMRC has written off 8,600.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Adult Education

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the December 2006 report of the Learning and Skills Council on learner numbers in  (a) further education,  (b) adult community learning and  (c) work-based learning.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 26 February 2007
	Between 1997-98 and 2005-06 we increased investment in FE by 48 per cent. in real terms and between 2005-06 and 2007-08 the overall Learning and Skills Council (LSC) budget will increase further from 9.9 billion to 11.2 billion. However, in order to meet the skills challenges that we face, clearly identified by the Leitch Report Prosperity for all in the Global Economy  world class skills (December 2006), it is important that we increasingly focus available funding on our priorities.
	The figures published on learner numbers in December 2006 illustrate that funding is being allocated to support our priorities of higher participation and achievement for young people, alongside increasing support for adults to achieve the basic and level 2 skills necessary for employment.
	We were therefore pleased to see that we have a record number of young people, 744,000 in 2005/06, participating in further education, an increase of 2.3 per cent. compared to 2004/05.
	This does not mean we are prioritising young people over adults. Investment in adult education continues to grow and as a result of this strategy, we have more adults than ever successfully completing longer and higher priority courses such as Skills for Life and full level 2 qualifications. The strategy has allowed us to exceed our interim Skills for Life target, set in 2001, of 1.5 million achievements with more than 1.6 million people having gained basic skills qualifications. The significant growth in full level 2 provision also supports our assessment that we will achieve our one million interim milestone for the 2006 adult level 2 target.
	Even though there were still nearly four million publicly funded adult learning places available in 2005/06, the realignment of funding to meet our priorities has resulted in a reduction of publicly funded adult places. The majority of the loss in funded adult learner places was in non-priority learning with much of it being for short, non-accredited provision, which does not offer sufficient opportunities for progression to further learning or the necessary skills for employment.
	However, the reduction in publicly funded adult learner places needs to be considered in the wider context of total adult provision where we expect to see over 350,000 learners in the Train to Gain programme in 2007/08. Along with increases in adult apprenticeships, these will partially offset reductions in publicly funded places.
	Recent surveys also indicate that colleges are responding positively to the changes in fees where it is reported that most colleges expected growth in full cost activity in 2006/07, following growth for most in 2005/06. These increases in full cost provision could further offset the reduction in publicly funded places and we are encouraging further growth in full costs provision.
	Finally, just as the LSC does not fund all available learning, so its report on learner numbers does not offer a full picture. Opportunities are no longer confined mainly to publicly funded or publicly available courses, with ever more learning opportunities through the private sector, the internet and broadcasting. Partly as a result, more adults are learning than ever before. The National Adult Learning survey (NALS) published on 30 November, showed 80 per cent. of adults had participated in some form of learning over the previous three years, an increase from 76 per cent. in 2002.

Children: Day Care

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many families in Warrington, North  (a) are eligible for and  (b) have taken up free or subsidised childcare.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 6 March 2007
	Information is not available in the form requested.
	At December 2005 the Office for National Statistics shows Warrington having a population of 4,400(1) three and four-year-olds, and the 2006 Early Years and Annual Schools Censuses show the number of part-time early education places funded by the free entitlement for three and four-year-olds in Warrington local authority area was 4,200(2).
	Data on eligibility and take up of free or subsidised child care overall is not available centrally.
	Child care used by parents can be subsidised in a variety of ways, including the child care element of the working tax credit, local authority subsidies, Jobcentre Plus, new deals, Care to Learn, learner support funds and NHS child care allowances.
	(1) ONS population estimates are aggregated to age groupings of at least five years. Figures based on a single year of age at the sub-national level are therefore of limited reliability.
	(2) The number of children benefiting from some form of free early education can exceed the number of free part-time early education places taken up by children as a place may be taken up by more than one child.

Children: Protection

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many part 8 reviews took place in England in the last year for which figures are available; and what conclusions his Department has drawn from these reviews.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 27 February 2007
	The Child Protection Database, maintained by the Commissioner for Social Care Inspection, indicates the cases that were the subject of a Serious Case Review (SCR). To date, in the year 2005-06, 55 cases have been confirmed as the subject of a Serious Case Review.
	The Department for Education and Skills is responsible for identifying and disseminating common themes and threads across SCRs, and acting on lessons for policy and practice. An 'overview' report on the previous case reviews which took place in the period 2003-05 will be published in the summer of this year.

Children's Centres: Greater London

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children's centres there are in each London borough.

Beverley Hughes: As of 28 February 2007 there are a total of 171 designated Sure Start children's centres in London, with the numbers in each borough set out in the table:
	
		
			   Number 
			 Barking and Dagenham 6 
			 Barnet 2 
			 Bexley 4 
			 Brent 5 
			 Bromley 1 
			 Camden 10 
			 City of London 1 
			 Croydon 6 
			 Ealing 10 
			 Enfield 7 
			 Greenwich 9 
			 Hackney 10 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 5 
			 Haringey 10 
			 Harrow 3 
			 Havering 1 
			 Hillingdon 2 
			 Hounslow 3 
			 Islington 10 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 4 
			 Lambeth 13 
			 Lewisham 3 
			 Merton 1 
			 Newham 5 
			 Redbridge 4 
			 Southwark 9 
			 Sutton 2 
			 Tower Hamlets 11 
			 Waltham Forest 6 
			 Wandsworth 3 
			 Westminster 5

Correspondence

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many letters to his Department sent from hon. Members during Session 2005-06 remain unanswered, broken down by those which are  (a) one,  (b) two,  (c) three,  (d) four and  (e) over six months old.

Parmjit Dhanda: According to records held on the Department's correspondence tracking system there are no letters from hon. Members that remain unanswered in the 2005 and 2006 calendar years.

Correspondence

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many letters were received by his Department from hon. Members in each of the last 12 months; how many such letters were responded to within  (a) 10 and  (b) 20 days of receipt; how many were answered after 20 days from the date of receipt; and if he will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Cabinet Office, on an annual basis, publishes a report to Parliament on the performance of Departments in replying to Members/Peers correspondence. The report for 2005 was published on 30 March 2006,  Official Report, columns 75-78ws. Information relating to 2006 is currently being collated and will be published as soon as it is ready.

Departmental Staff

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many temporary employees were contracted to work for his Department in 2005-06; and what the total cost of such employees was in  (a) 2005-06 and  (b) 1997-98.

Parmjit Dhanda: During 2005-06, the Department employed an average of 48 temporary staff per month. The total cost of such employees in 2005-06 was 2.227 million, and in 1997-98 they were 1.442 million.

Education Maintenance Allowance: Leeds

Colin Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students living in Elmet constituency were in receipt of education maintenance allowance (EMA) in each year since its inception; and what total amount was paid to students living in the Elmet constituency in EMA payments in each year since its inception.

Phil Hope: This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council, who operate education maintenance allowances for the DfES and hold the information about take-up of the scheme. Mark Haysom, the Council's Chief Executive, has written to the hon. Member with the information requested and a copy of his reply has been placed in the House Library.
	 Letter from Mark Haysom, dated 8 February 2007:
	I am writing in response to your Parliamentary Question 118424 that asked; How many students living in the Elmet constituency were in receipt of education maintenance allowance (EMA) in each year since its inception; and what total amount was paid to students living in the Elmet constituency in EMA payments in each year since its inception.
	Information on the number of young people who have applied, enrolled and received education maintenance allowance is available at local authority level, but not at constituency level. EMA take-up is defined as young people who have received one or more EMA payments in the academic year.
	EMA take-up for Leeds local authority area during each academic year since inception is as follows:
	2004/055651
	2005/066341
	2006/077012 (to end of January)
	Financial information is only available at national level, not at local authority, or constituency level.
	I hope this answers your question.

Educational Attainment

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many  (a) maintained secondary schools and  (b) independent secondary schools fell within each percentage point in terms of the proportion of pupils at the end of key stage 4 who took a GCSE in (i) English, (ii) mathematics, (iii) a modern foreign language, (iv) history and (v) geography.

Jim Knight: The information requested has been placed in the House of Commons Library.
	This analysis is based on the revised 2006 KS4 data.

Extended Schools: East Sussex

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many schools in  (a) Eastbourne and  (b) East Sussex offer extended hours.

Jim Knight: There are currently over 4,000 extended schools in England. This includes 27 schools in the East Sussex local authority area, of which six are in the Eastbourne area (two secondary, three primary and one special school).
	All these schools are providing a core offer of extended services. This is comprised of a varied menu of study support activities and high quality childcare 8am to 6pm all year round in primary schools. These services will be provided on the school site or in partnership with local private, voluntary and independent providers. They will also offer parenting support; swift and easy referral to a wide range of specialist support services such as health and social care; and wider community access to ICT, sports and arts facilities, on the school site including adult learning.

Faith Schools

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many unsuccessful applications there were to faith schools in 2006.

Jim Knight: The requested information is not collected centrally.

Free School Meals

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what his latest estimate is of the annual cost of free school lunches; what proportion of the English school population takes free school lunches; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The Department does not collect information on the cost of free school meals. Individual local authorities or, where the budget for school meals is delegated to them, school governing bodies decide the monetary 'value' of a free school meal. We believe that they are best placed to know the individual circumstances within their area, or school, and that is why the decision should be made at local level.
	The table provides information on pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and who took a free school meal.
	
		
			  Maintained nursery, primary and secondary schools( 1) : School meal arrangements( 2) as at January 2006England 
			   Nursery and primary schools  Secondary schools 
			 Number on roll 4,187,630 3,309,720 
			 Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 670,340 448,680 
			 Percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 16.0 13.6 
			 Number of pupils who took a free school meal on the day of the Census 556,180 328,750 
			 Percentage of pupils who took a free school meal on the day of the Census 13.3 9.9 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Includes pupils with sole and dual (main) registration.  Source: School Census

Freedom of Information: Private Sector

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs on the application of Freedom of Information regulations to private companies performing public services are subject to.

Parmjit Dhanda: In the course of official business the hon. Member has regular discussions with ministerial colleagues on a wide range of issues.

General Certificate of Secondary Education

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 20 February 2007,  Official Report, column 696W, on GCSEs, how many 15-year-olds attended the  (a) special and  (b) independent schools which entered no pupils for a GCSE in (i) history, (ii) geography and (iii) a modern foreign language in 2006.

Jim Knight: The information requested has been placed in the House of Commons Library.
	This analysis is based on the revised 2006 KS4 data.

General Certificate of Secondary Education: East Sussex

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of pupils at state schools in  (a) Eastbourne and  (b) East Sussex achieved five or more A* to C grades in GCSEs in each of the last 10 years.

Jim Knight: The information requested is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Percentage of pupils in maintained schools gaining 5+ A*-C grades at GCSE or equivalent. 
			   1997( 1)  1998( 1)  1999( 1)  2000( 1)  2001( 1)  2002( 1)  2003( 1)  2004( 1, 2)  2005( 1, 2)  2006( 2, 3) 
			 Eastbourne constituency(4) 44.2 44.5 48.7 47.4 45.4 43.6 46.0 52.0 55.7 58.2 
			 East Sussex local authority 45.5 46.9 49.6 51.0 50.3 51.2 52.8 54.3 54.5 55.4 
			 (1 )Figures are for pupils aged 15 (2 )From 2004 includes GCSEs and other equivalent qualifications approved for use pre-16 (3 )From 2006 figures are for pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 and 2006 data is revised data (4 )Based on location of school

Higher Education: Lancashire

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of  (a) 18 and  (b) 19-year-olds from Lancashire joined university courses in each of the last 10 years.

Bill Rammell: The latest available figures on participation in higher education by local authority were published by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) in January 2005 in Young Participation in England, which is available from their website at:
	http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/hefce/2005/05_03/.
	This report shows participation rates for young people who enter higher education aged 18 or 19, disaggregated by local authority, for the years 1997 to 2000. The figures for Lancashire local authority, and the comparable figure for England, are shown in the following table. HEFCE have not produced participation rates beyond 2000.
	
		
			  Young participation rate (YPR (A)) in higher education( 1)  for year cohort aged 18 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000 
			 Cohort for Lancashire(2) 14,010 14,490 14,360 14,030 
			 Young participation rate (A) for Lancashire(3) (Percentage) 31 30 30 31 
			 Young Participation Rate (A) for England (Percentage) 29.2 28.8 29.2 29.9 
			 (1) Covers all students studying higher education courses at UK higher education institutions and other UK institutions, for example further education colleges. (2) Cohorts are reported to the nearest 10. (3) Young participation rates for constituencies are reported to the nearest per cent.  Source: Higher Education Funding Council for England. 
		
	
	The total numbers of undergraduate entrants to UK higher education institutions from Lancashire local authority for each year since 2001-02 are given in the following table.
	
		
			  Entrants to undergraduate courses( 1)  from Lancashire local authority 
			   2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 Aged 18 3,530 3,570 3,445 3,535 3,885 
			 Aged 19 1,550 1,460 1,505 1,595 1,535 
			 Other ages(2) 9,005 10,610 10,640 10,225 10,720 
			 Total entrants 14,090 15,635 15,590 15,355 16,140 
			 (1) Covers all students studying higher education courses at UK higher education institutions only. Students studying higher education courses elsewhere such as further education colleges are excluded. (2) Includes a very small number of students with unknown ages or ages under 18.  Note: Figures are based on the HESA standard registration population for entrants and have been rounded to the nearest five, so components may not sum to totals.  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) 
		
	
	The Department uses the higher education initial participation rate (HEIPR) to assess progress on increasing first-time participation of English students aged 18 to 30 in higher education towards 50 per cent: the latest provisional figure for 2004-05 is 42 per cent. The HEIPR is not calculated at local authority level.

Higher Education: Lancashire

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many Lancashire students left university with incomplete degrees as a result of their course being discontinued in each of the last 10 years.

Bill Rammell: The information requested is not collected centrally. The Higher Education Statistics Agency publishes figures on non-continuation rates but these figures are not broken down by specific reasons for non-continuation including discontinuation of course because this information is not collected centrally.

Higher Education: Lancashire

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many degree courses in Lancashire were discontinued in each of the last 10 years.

Bill Rammell: The information requested is not collected centrally. Degree courses open and close regularly because student and employer demand for particular higher education courses does not stand still. Higher education institutions (HEIs) have responded successfully to student demand, there were 12,010 entrants to full time first degree courses at HEIs in Lancashire in 2005-06, compared to 10,670 in 1997-98.

Learning Disability: Prisoners

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much was spent per capita on prisoners with learning difficulties in each of the last five years.

Phil Hope: Information on the proportion of prisoners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is not available centrally. Now that the Learning and Skills Council has taken over the responsibility for planning and funding offender learning and skills, resources can be better targeted towards meeting the needs of different categories individual offenders.

Northfields Technology College

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when a decision will be made on the Collaborative Restart proposal for the Northfields Technology College, Dunstable, in collaboration with Kings Houghton Middle School.

Jim Knight: holding answer 5 March 2007
	The Department has approved the proposal for additional funding to support collaboration between Northfields Technology College and Kings Houghton Middle School, and will be supporting this project with 50,000 in 2006-07 and a further 75,000 in 2007-08.

Nurseries: Fees and Charges

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate he has made of the difference between the amounts charged by nurseries and the amounts reimbursed by local authorities to nurseries as discussed in the PricewaterhouseCoopers report, DfES Children's Service, The Childcare Market, and if he will take steps to tackle this issue.

Beverley Hughes: There is no basis for comparison between figures set out in the PricewaterhouseCoopers report and funding provided by local authorities for delivery of the free entitlement. Free entitlement funding is intended to deliver high-quality provision for three and four-year-olds, based on the core foundation stage curriculum, and in accordance with the day care standards. The figure quoted in the report is based on a small sample of local authorities. It refers to an hourly per head rate in children's centres and represents the cost of delivering child care for children aged between birth and five. For under-threes, the child: staff ratio is necessarily lower, and the cost of provision therefore higher.
	Government invests some 3 billion per year in delivering the free entitlement through a diverse child care market that offers real choice and responsive services to children and their families. This funding is sufficient to ensure high-quality provision for every eligible three and four-year-old. Local authorities have discretion over how they fund provision, taking account of local needs and market dynamics.
	Future funding for the free entitlement, like that of all Government spending, will be determined by the outcome of the comprehensive spending review. The consultation on the future of early years, school and 14-16 funding, launched this week, invites views on options for the future funding mechanisms for the free entitlement.

Pre-School Education: Finance

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much of the funding allocated to early years provision has been allocated to  (a) Sure Start children's centres,  (b) nursery provision,  (c) childminder networks and  (d) other bodies.

Beverley Hughes: For part  (a) and  (b) I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 5 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1702W.
	 (c) Funding for childminders and childminder networks is included in the General Sure Start Grant (GSSG) for the period 2006-08. Local authorities have the freedom to decide how much is spent on these areas and the amounts are not separately identified.
	 (d) Sure Start funding is provided by the Department to a range of other bodies. Key recipients of grant funding in 2006-08 include the Children's Workforce Development Council and the National College for School Leadership. These bodies are funded to deliver improvements in the quality of the early years workforce. The London Development Agency also receives funding for the Childcare Affordability pilot and the Workplace Nurseries Capital Programme. Details of funding have not been provided as 2007-08 allocations are still being finalised in some cases.
	We encourage local authorities to work with a range of partners and bodies in delivering their elements of the General Sure Start Grant. Decisions on allocations from their grant are for them and details are not held centrally.

Public Relations

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which public affairs firms were given contracts by  (a) his Department and  (b) public bodies sponsored by his Department in each of the last five years; and what the purpose was of each contract.

Parmjit Dhanda: A complete answer to this question could be supplied only at disproportionate cost. I can tell you, however, since April 2005, the Department has held framework agreements with eight organisations to deliver Public Relations activity:
	Geronimo PR, Hill and Knowlton, The Forster Company, Trimedia Communications Ltd, Fishburn Hedges, August One, Harrison Cowley and Porter Novelli
	Details of the purpose of activity commissioned through each framework are not held centrally.

Pupils: Absenteeism

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many  (a) unauthorised and  (b) authorised absences were recorded at (i) primary and (ii) secondary schools in Lancashire in each year from 1997 to 2006.

Jim Knight: The percentage of half days missed in primary and secondary schools in Lancashire local authority due to authorised and unauthorised absence in each year since 1997 are shown as follows.
	
		
			  Pupil absence (percentage of half days missed) in maintained primary schools( 1)  in Lancashire LEA 1997/98 to 2005/06( 2,3) 
			  Type of absence  1997/98  1998/99  1999/2000  2000/01  2001/02  2002/03  2003/04  2004/05  2005/06 (final) 
			 Authorised 5.2 5.0 4.9 5.0 5.04 4.88 4.72 4.68 4.81 
			 Unauthorised 0.3 0.4 0.4 0.3 0.34 0.31 0.32 0.34 0.35 
		
	
	
		
			  Pupil absence (percentage of half days missed) in maintained secondary schools( 1)  in Lancashire LEA 1997/98 to 2005/06( 2,3) 
			  Local authority  1997/98  1998/99  1999/2000  2000/01  2001/02  2002/03  2003/04  2004/05  2005/06 
			 Authorised 7.6 7.8 7.5 7.9 7.75 7.15 7.25 6.94 6.84 
			 Unauthorised 0.8 0.9 0.8 0.8 0.82 0.82 0.88 0.93 0.94 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Due to Local Government Reorganisation, regional figures are not available prior to 1998. (3) Figures for Lancashire local authority are available to 1 decimal place prior to 2001/02 and two decimal places from 2001/02 onwards. 
		
	
	Unauthorised absence is absence without leave from a teacher or other authorised representative of the school. This includes all unexplained or unjustified absences, such as lateness, holidays during term time not authorised by the school, absence where reason is not yet established and truancy.

Pupils: Uniforms

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what his Department's policy is on the provision of individual tuition to pupils who have absented themselves from schools following disputes about the wearing of  (a) school uniform,  (b) appropriate dress and  (c) jewellery.

Jim Knight: There is no provision in law for pupils to absent themselves from school following disputes about school uniform or other aspects of appearance, and therefore no provision for pupils to receive individual tuition in such circumstances.
	Where a school decides that a pupil must change their clothes in order to comply with school uniform or dress code, they may allow a short period of absence to enable the pupil to go home and change. Any further absence would be unauthorised, which could render the parents of the absent child liable for prosecution.

Royal Mail

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much his Department spent using Royal Mail in each of the last five years.

Alan Johnson: The Department for Education and Skills expenditure on Royal Mail Services in each of the last five financial years was:
	
		
			
			 2005/06 174,673 
			 2004/05 250,175 
			 2003/04 343,716 
			 2002/03 546,466 
			 2001/02 576,291

Schools: East Sussex

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether any schools in  (a) Eastbourne and  (b) East Sussex have been (i) put into and (ii) taken out of special measures in the last 12 months.

Jim Knight: No schools in the Eastbourne constituency have been made subject to or removed form special since 1 March 2006.
	Two schools within the East Sussex local authority have been made subject to special measures since 1 March 2006 (White House primary school and Marshlands primary school) and one school removed from special measures (Castledown Community primary school).

Schools: East Sussex

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what his plans are for future capital expenditure on schools in  (a) Eastbourne and  (b) East Sussex.

Jim Knight: The Department does not keep separate records for Eastbourne as schools capital allocations are made on a local authority basis. Future capital expenditure on schools will be determined by East Sussex local authority, taking into account not only allocations from the Department, but other sources of income it may have access to, including capital receipts and prudential borrowing.
	The Department has allocated 56 million to East Sussex in the spending review period 2005-06 to 2007-08. Decisions on allocations for the spending review period commencing 2008-09 will be taken during the summer.

Schools: Lancashire

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many schools in Lancashire were scheduled to be refurbished over the last five years; and how many were refurbished over that period.

Jim Knight: The Department does not hold information on numbers of schools scheduled for refurbishment or numbers of schools refurbished. The bulk of schools capital is allocated by formula to authorities and schools so that they can address their priorities. The assessment of the state of the buildings and the prioritisation of investment is carried out locally, rather than by the Department. Authorities and schools are encouraged to operate good quality, transparent asset management processes and to align their priorities with those of central Government.
	Central Government capital support for investment in schools has increased from under 700 million in 1996-97 to 5.5 billion in 2005-06 and will rise further to over 6.3 billion by 2007-08. Progress is being made year-by-year in improving the quality of the school building stock.

Schools: Leicester

Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many schools in Leicester  (a) collect and  (b) store biometric data on their students; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The Department has no estimate of the number of schools that collect and/or store biometric data on their students.

Secondary Education: Curriculum

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 26 February 2007,  Official Report, column 1024W, on secondary education: curriculum, whether it is the intention of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority that teachers should correct non-standard uses of English.

Jim Knight: It is the intention of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority that pupils are taught how to speak standard English fluently and to use the conventions of standard English effectively.

Secondary Education: Curriculum

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 26 February 2007,  Official Report, column 1025W, on secondary education: curriculum, what assessment the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) has made of the curriculum of South Africa; and whether the QCA adopted elements of the approach to the curriculum in South Africa when designing the secondary curriculum review.

Jim Knight: The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority has made no formal assessment of the curriculum of South Africa and has not adopted elements of the approach to the curriculum in South Africa into the revised secondary curriculum.

Secondary Education: Curriculum

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 26 February 2007,  Official Report, column 1025W, on secondary education: curriculum, what the purpose is of the qualifications and curriculum consultation on the contents of the supporting materials.

Jim Knight: The purpose of the consultation on the secondary curriculum review supporting materials is to gather views on how effective they are in helping teachers and curriculum planners plan for and implement the proposed revised programmes of study. This information will inform the next stage of development of these materials.

Special Advisers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many of his Department's civil servants work full-time to support departmental special advisers; and what the salary is of each such civil servant.

Parmjit Dhanda: Three members of staff are primarily employed to provide support of a non-political nature in accordance with the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers.
	In order to protect the privacy of the individual civil servants, salary details will not be disclosed.

Specialist Schools: Disabled

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many disabled children in England attended specialist colleges for their post-16 education in each of the last three years for which data is available.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 5 March 2007
	Figures for those participating in further education (FE) funded by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) can be derived from the individualised learner record (ILR). Learner self-assessment of whether they have a learning difficulty, disability and/or health problem is recorded on the LSC's learner data for learners participating in further education. The following table shows the total number of learners in specialist colleges by disability for 2003/04, 2004/05 and 2005/06.
	
		
			   Learner considers himself or herself to have a learning difficulty, disability or health problem  Learner does not consider himself or herself to have a learning difficulty, disability or health problem  No information provided by the learner  Total 
			  2005/06 
			 Specialist Designated college 17,050 101,180 15,410 133,630 
			 Special collegeAgriculture and horticulture 6,800 40,770 1,710 49,280 
			 Special collegeArt, design and performing arts 640 3,160 60 3,850 
			 Total Specialist Colleges 24,490 145,100 17,170 186,760 
			  2004/05 
			 Specialist Designated college 14,460 91,550 25,900 131,910 
			 Special collegeAgriculture and horticulture 7,738 46,200 2,700 56,630 
			 Special collegeArt, design and performing arts 760 4,060 130 4,940 
			 Total Specialist Colleges 22,950 141,810 28,730 193,490 
			  
			  2003/04 
			 Specialist Designated college 3,490 114,240 24,450 142,180 
			 Special collegeAgriculture and horticulture 7,340 53,340 3,760 64,430 
			 Special collegeArt, design and performing arts 570 4,270 750 5,590 
			 Total Specialist Colleges 11,460 172,790 28,960 213,200

Specialist Schools: East Sussex

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which schools in  (a) Eastbourne and  (b) East Sussex that are designated as specialist (i) sports colleges, (ii) technology colleges, (iii) language colleges, (iv) arts and humanities colleges and (v) business and enterprise colleges.

Jim Knight: There are five sports colleges, six technology colleges, two language colleges and six arts colleges in East Sussex local authority, including one technology college and three arts colleges in Eastbourne. In addition: Hailsham community college (sports) also has a business and enterprise second specialism; Chailey school (language) has a humanities second specialism; and Uplands community college (technology) has second specialism in arts. The schools are:
	
		
			   Main Specialism  Second Specialism 
			  (a) Specialist Schools in Eastbourne   
			 Eastbourne Technology College Technology  
			 Ratton School Arts  
			 The Cavendish School Arts  
			 Willingdon Community School Arts  
			
			  (b) Specialist Schools in East Sussex local authority   
			 Beacon Community College Sports Science 
			 Claverham Community College Sports  
			 Hailsham Community College Sports Business and Enterprise 
			 William Parker School Sports  
			 Seaford Head Community College Sports and Science (Combined)  
			 Bexhill High School Technology  
			 Ringmer Community College Technology Vocational 
			 Tideway School Technology  
			 Uckfield Community Technology College Technology  
			 Uplands Community College Technology Arts 
			 Chailey School Language Humanities 
			 Hillcrest School Language  
			 Helenswood School Arts  
			 Priory School Arts Language, Science

Students: Loans

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many stop notices were issued by the Student Loans Company in relation to student loan repayments to HM Revenue and Customs in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 6 March 2007
	As Minister responsible for Higher Education, I have been asked to reply to this question.
	The Student Loans Company issued 23,403 stop notices in 2003-04, 34,353 in 2004-05 and 41,277 in 2005-06. The number of stop notices is increasing year on year as the number of borrowers in repayment increases and more people come to the end of repaying their loan.

Students: Loans

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many student loan overpayment refunds to customers were made by the Student Loans Company in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 6 March 2007
	As Minister responsible for Higher Education, I have been asked to reply to this question.
	I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 5 December 2006,  Official Report, column 255W, to the hon. Member for Havant (Mr. Willetts).

Teachers: Qualifications

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of  (a) English,  (b) language,  (c) science,  (d) mathematics,  (e) design and technology and  (f) history teachers in (i) primary and (ii) secondary schools in Chorley constituency have formal qualifications to teach the subject concerned.

Jim Knight: The information requested is not collected centrally.
	The following table provides full-time teachers in maintained secondary schools by the highest post A level qualification held in the subjects they teach.
	
		
			  Teachers in Service: Full-time teachers in maintained secondary schoolsHighest post A level qualification( 1) held in the subjects they teach( 2) to year groups 7-13 
			   Percentages  
			   Degree( 3)  BEd  PGCE  Cert Ed  Other Qual.  No Qual.  Total teachers (Thousand) 
			 Mathematics 42 ± 3 15 ± 2 9 ± 2 7 ± 1 2 ± 1 24 ± 2 28.2 
			 English 51 ± 3 15 ± 2 7 ± 1 6 ± 1 1 ± 1 20 ± 2 29.4 
			 
			 Combined/General science 62 ± 3 12 ± 2 10 ± 2 4 ± 1 1 ± 1 11 ± 2 28.3 
			 Biology(4) 71 ± 5 7 ± 3 11 ± 4 3 ± 2 - ± 1 7 ± 3 5.6 
			 Chemistry(4) 72 ± 5 6 ± 3 12 ± 4 1 ± 1 1 ± 1 7 ± 3 5.2 
			 Physics(4) 63 ± 6 11 ± 4 15 ± 4 3 ± 2 - ± - 8 ± 3 4.7 
			 Other sciences(4) 10 ± 6 4 ± 4 5 ± 4 - ± - - ± - 80 ± 8 1.6 
			 
			 French 54 ± 3 7 ± 2 10 ± 2 3 ± 1 2 ± 1 23 ± 3 16.0 
			 German 47 ± 5 6 ± 3 13 ± 4 1 ± 1 2 ± 1 30 ± 5 6.9 
			 Spanish 37 ± 7 8 ± 4 19 ± 6 - ± - 3 ± 2 33 ± 7 3.6 
			 Other modern languages 18 ± 8 - ± - 9 ± 7 - ± - 3 ± 4 71 ±10 1.4 
			 
			 Design and technology(5) 26 ± 3 20 ± 3 7 ± 2 21 ± 3 2 ± 1 24 ± 3 20.9 
			 ICT(5, 6) 13 ± 2 6 ± 1 8 ± 2 2 ± 1 3 ± 1 69 ± 3 18.9 
			 Other/Combined technology(5) 30± 1 0 13 ± 8 16 ± 7 18 ± 9 2 ± 3 20 ± 9 1.6 
			 
			 Business studies 30 ± 5 11 ± 4 9 ± 3 4 ± 2 3 ± 2 43 ± 5 6.5 
			 Classics 33 ± 7 - ± - 2 ± 4 2 ± - - ± - 63 ± 7 1.0 
			 History 57 ± 4 9 ± 2 6 ± 2 6 ± 2 - ± - 23 ± 3 13.7 
			 Religious education 22 ± 3 8 ± 2 8 ± 2 4 ± 1 2 ± 1 57 ± 4 14.2 
			 Geography 53 ± 4 9 ± 2 6 ± 2 5 ± 2 1 ± 1 25 ± 3 13.7 
			 Other social studies 35 ± 5 6 ± 3 2 ± 2 2 ± 1 - ± 1 54 ± 6 4.9 
			 Combined arts/humanities/ social studies 5 ± 3 4 ± 2 7 ± 3 1 ± 1 1 ± 1 83 ± 5 5.3 
			 
			 Music 59 ± 5 15 ± 4 5 ± 2 6 ± 3 2 ± 2 13 ± 4 6.3 
			 Drama 25 ± 4 10 ± 3 12 ± 3 6 ± 2 2 ± 1 45 ± 5 8.1 
			 Art and design 54 ± 4 10 ± 3 7 ± 2 9 ± 3 1 ± 1 20 ± 4 9.3 
			 Physical education 25 ± 3 31 ± 3 6 ± 2 13 ± 2 2 ± 1 22 ± 2 21.4 
			 Careers education 2 ± 2 1 ± 2 3 ± 3 4 ± 4 3 ± 4 87 ± 7 1.5 
			 PSHE(6) 1 ± - 1 ± - 2 ± 1 1 ± - - ± - 95 ± 1 61.4 
			 General studies 1 ± 1 2 ± 1 1 ± 1 - ± 1 - ± - 95 ± 2 7.1 
			 Citizenship 2 ± 1 1 ± 1 2 ± 1 - ± 1 - ± - 94 ± 2 9.0 
			 Other   32.8 
			 
			 Total(2, 7) 33 ± - 10 ±- 7 ± - 5 ± - 1 ± - 44 ± - 388.4 
			 '-' = zero or less than 0.5. (1) Where a teacher has more than one post A level qualification in the same subject, the qualification level is determined by the highest level reading from left (Degree) to right (Other Qual.). For example, teachers shown under PGCE have a PGCE but not a degree or BEd in the subject, while those with a PGCE and a degree are shown only under Degree. (2) Teachers are counted once against each subject which they are teaching. (3) Includes higher degrees but excludes BEds. (4) Teachers qualified in combined/general science are treated as qualified to teach biology, chemistry, or physics. Teachers qualified in biology, chemistry or physics are treated as qualified to teach combined/general science. (5) Teachers qualified in other/combined technology are treated as qualified to teach design and technology or information and communication technology. Teachers qualified in design and technology or information and communication technology are treated as qualified to teach other/combined technology. (6) Information and Communication Technology is abbreviated as ICT and Personal Social and Health Education is abbreviated as PSHE. (7) 'Other' not included in total percentages.  Source: Secondary Schools Curriculum and Staffing Survey 2002.

Teachers: Training

Philip Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much is being provided to each local authority to fund training for teachers on how to search pupils and use techniques to calm pupils.

Jim Knight: The Department's draft guidance, Screening or Searching Pupils for Weapons, advises that schools training members of staff on how to search pupils or using pupil calming techniques can use funds already available to them for staff training, equipment, or security or from elsewhere within the school's delegated budget share. The guidance is now the subject of consultation which ends on 15 May. In line with national policy, it is for local discretion to determine the funds money to be made available for training.

Teenage Pregnancy

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  whether the Government is still on target to achieve the aim of halving the number of teenage pregnancies by 2010;
	(2)  what actions his Department has taken to support the Government's target of halving the number of teenage pregnancies by 2010;
	(3)  what steps he is taking to focus resources allocated to tackling teenage pregnancy on areas where that rate increased in 2005;
	(4)  what guidelines the Government has given to  (a) local education authorities and  (b) primary care trusts on action to reduce the rate of teenage pregnancy.

Beverley Hughes: 2005 under-18 conception rate datapublished by the Office for National Statistics in February 2007showed that since the 1998 baseline year, the under-18 conception rate in England fell by 11.8 per cent. to its lowest level for over 20 years. The under-16 rate fell by 12.1 per cent. over the same period.
	Despite this steady progress, we are below the trajectory needed to achieve the challenging target of halving the under-18 conception rate by 2010. Consequently, we have issued guidance to local authorities and primary care trusts, setting out the key features of local strategies in areas where teenage conception rates have fallen fastest. All areas have been asked to review their strategies against this guidance, with a view to raising all areas' performance to the levels of the bestif all areas had performed as well as the top quartile, the national reduction would be 26 per cent.more than twice the 11.8 per cent. reduction that has actually been achieved.
	The funding available to each area for delivery of their local strategies is calculated using a formula that takes account of: the area's under-18 conception rate; the total size of the female population aged 15-17; and the number of prevented conceptions needed in order for the area to meet its under-18 conception rate reduction target (of between 40 and 60 per cent.). We have no plans to change the basis of the formula. Areas with declining rates have achieved this within current funding arrangements, through joint planning and commissioning and we do not believe that effective delivery of local strategies requires more resources. However, areas which have made least progress will receive additional support to strengthen their strategies from their Government office, which is charged with performance managing local areas. For high and increasing rate areas, this will include additional support provided by the Department of Health's 'National Support Team'.

Training Levy (Construction Board) Order 2002

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate he has made of the  (a) one-off and  (b) recurring cost of implementing the Industrial Training Levy (Construction Board) Order 2002 to (i) businesses and (ii) the regulators.

Phil Hope: The cost of implementing the Industrial Training Levy (Construction Board) Order 2002 was estimated as follows.
	
		
			million 
			  Employers  
			 Cost of completing levy returns 1.17 
			 Cost of processing levy assessments 0.54 
			 Levy paid 93.18 
			  Regulator (Construction Industry Training Board)  
			 Levy collection costs 2.71 
		
	
	All costs were one off, there were no recurring costs.

Truancy

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pupils in  (a) England and  (b) Northamptonshire had at least one unauthorised absence in the last year for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: The number of day pupils of compulsory school age and number of pupils absent with the average number of half days missed for each of these pupils due to unauthorised absence is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Half days missed due to unauthorised absence per pupil in maintained primary and secondary schools( 1)  2005/06 
			Unauthorised absence 
			   Number of day pupils of compulsory school age  Number of pupils absent  Average number of half days missed 
			  Primary schools
			 Northamptonshire 47,781 8,135 8 
			 England 3,493,047 604,320 8 
			 
			  Secondary schools
			 Northamptonshire 40,539 13,772 12 
			 England 3,001,517 794,877 14 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed 
		
	
	Unauthorised absence is defined as absence without leave from a teacher or other authorised representative of the school. This includes truancy but also covers other forms of unexplained or unjustified absences, such as lateness, holidays during term time not authorised by the school and absence where the reason is not yet established. It is not therefore possible to identify absence from truancy alone.

Young People: Coventry

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many young people were not in education, employment or training in the Coventry local authority area in the last year for which figures are available.

Phil Hope: holding answer 7 February 2007
	There were an estimated 1,000 (9.1 per cent.) 16-18 year olds not in education, employment or training in the Coventry local authority area, averaged for the period November 2005 to January 2006.
	This figure is drawn from the operational client management systems maintained by Connexions services. It only includes those people known to the service (about 85 per cent. of the population); some young people who attended independent schools or were at school outside England are excluded. The age relates to those of calendar year age 16-18 on the date of measurement.
	This NEET measure is that used for setting and monitoring local authority NEET targets. The definition differs from that used to measure the national departmental PSA NEET target. Along with not covering the entire population, the Connexions NEET measure excludes those on gap years, or in custody. The PSA measure is for academic rather than calendar age 16-18.